


Psychically Linked

by bluehappyking



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Agents of SHIELD, Asgard, Body Swap, F/M, FitzSimmons - Freeform, Jotenheim Beast, Scotland
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-18
Updated: 2015-02-27
Packaged: 2018-03-13 14:39:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 21,599
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3385436
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bluehappyking/pseuds/bluehappyking
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set between 1x12 SEEDS and 1x13 T.R.A.C.K.S. in a season 1 AU where Fitzsimmons try out the memory machine created by Centipede. Whilst only meant to delve into the subconscious, centipede have altered the machine which induces the pair into a body swap. Meanwhile, the team are called out to Scotland to investigate reports of a huge beast that's been sighted there. Rated mature due to the 'challenges' that Fitzsimmons face with their new bodies and anatomies of the other gender, but descriptions won't be graphic.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Location: Scotland

“Are you sure this is the way to the hotel?” a mother of two asked her husband as they drove in their car along a quiet road in Scotland covered with trees. Rain still managed to make its way through the leaves to splatter on the roof on the grey day.

“It’s the scenic route,” he replied to her, their two youngsters in the back. “We’re here to see Scotland in it’s finery and that’s what we’re going to do. We’ll go via Loch Ness.”

“Finery? In this weather? You can barely see anything through the rain!” she complained. “We need to make sure we get there in good time or we won’t be able to check in and you know that the time to check in is 4, and that means we...”

“Monster!” their eldest child, still only 5 called, and waved her teddy towards the front window of their car.

“What is it darling?” the mother laughed slightly, looking back. 

“Monster!” she said and they all looked over, even the youngest of 2.

“OH MY GOD!” the father yelled - the mother screamed. The youngest child cried and the elder continued to stare and call out. 

The huge beast, blue-grey in colour with huge tusks and a gargantuan sized head ran about 500 yards in front of them. Its spiked tail dragged across the road as it barged through the trees, knocking them past with it’s huge hands. The family screeched the car to a halt - the parents faces were pale white and with expressions of shock.

“What was that?!” the mother cried out.

“I...I don’t know...” the father said and looked around at his family before getting out his phone and calling the police. “I really don’t know...”

\-----

The Bus, Location classified

It had been almost 6 weeks and Fitzsimmons had been trying to work out how to use the memory machine they had found at the Centipede base. Whilst it looked similar to a CT scanner, there were very little similarities between them. Coulson had asked them to look it over but even then it baffled the duo but it was only now they’d started to make progress. All that was missing was a subject to test it on.

“The theta brain waves work by delving memories out of your subconscious leaving the patient in a similar state as to when you’re slowly coming out of a dream,” Simmons explained. 

“So you visualise things as if they were a reality, except in dreams they aren’t real. These suppressed memories are, it’s just your brain has hidden them in the subconscious. So the brainwaves this machine activates slow down enough to transport the patient into an flexible type of reality where they can broaden their mind and see things they wouldn’t have been able to see in a different state.” Fitz continued her sentences. “It’s really...”

“...quite remarkable,” Simmons ended and Fitz nodded. 

“So, what do you expect me to do, just sit there and let you guys prod and poke me until I start remembering my deep dark past?” Skye asked, swinging her legs back and forth. 

“Pretty much,” Fitz spoke.

“If you wouldn’t mind,” Simmons smiled sweetly.

Skye looked between the scientists - Fitz in a grey cardigan over a black checked shirt and jeans and Simmons in another dorky biege jumper over skinny black jeans, her hair down and curly. Skye shook her head and jumped off the side of the bench, her hair bouncing as she did.

“Uh-uh, no chance are you getting me in that thing.”

“Skye please!” Simmons begged.

“We need a patient to test it on. May’s said no, Ward won’t even consider it and Coulson, there’s no point even asking him. You’re all that’s left.”

“Oh thanks,” Skye cocked her head to one side and rolled her eyes sarcastically, folding her arms over her dark denim shirt.

“Not like that, please Skye, please...” Simmons tried again, putting her hands on the other woman’s shoulders. “It might help with the discovery of who your parents were?” Skye smiled flatly and nudged Simmons in the arm.

“I think I’m going to leave that search for now and focus more on Centipede and Ian Quinn. So, thanks but no thanks.” Skye said and Fitzsimmons looked at each other disappointedly. “I’ll be on my laptop if you need me.”

Fitz groaned and Simmons sighed, leaning on the bench. 

“There goes our last chance,” he said, pushing his hands back through his curls. 

“I really thought she might do it,” Simmons sighed and looked around the lab, her brown eyes gazing at the memory machine. “It’s such a shame. It would give us some insight into how Centipede works. Maybe I should tell that to Skye!”

“Leave her Jemma, I don’t think she’s going to want to do this. She saw Coulson in it - no wonder she’s aprehensive.”

“But this could be key research. If only there was a way to test it on the rats or another animal, seeing as we have no humans.”

“Do rats even have theta brainwaves?” Fitz asked and Simmons knew she could go into detail but she had a better idea.

“What if one of us tried it?” she smiled. “Only one of us needs to monitor the vital signs and talk the other through it.” 

“That is a good point, Simmons,” Fitz said.

“In you get then.”

“Me?! Why me?”

“Well, one of us has to do it!”

“But why not you? Seeing as you’re the one suggesting we try it on ourselves.”

“Well, I...erm...am better at monitoring,” she told him an excuse.

“The computer does the monitoring,” Fitz reminded her and she folded her arms, biting her lip. “Okay, only way to settle this. Rochambeau?” 

“Alright,” Simmons said and the two looked at each other. It was how they always made their decisions.

“Rochambeau,” they said at the same time and revealed their hands to one another. 

“Haha!” Fitz said with paper and Simmons placed her hand in the shape of a rock away. He patted her on the shoulder. “In you go, patient.” 

“Oh bugger,” Simmons said. “Oh well, it’s in the name of science I suppose. It’s always useful to explore the brain.”

“Exactly,” Fitz told his friend and Simmons lay down flatly on the machine, placing her head in the machine as Fitz fitted a pulse oximeter to her finger and a strap around her middle to monitor her heart rate. “Now I can check what’s going on physically and mentally after the machine is turned on. The people who read this research are lucky - your brain is far superior to anyone else on the bus.”

“Aww, that’s sweet,” Simmons smiled at her friend, looking up at him from the table. She exhaled as Fitz stood back by her side and reached out hand to him. “Be gentle please?”

“I always am,” he smiled and squeezed her hand back slightly before looking on his tablet. “Ready to go?” She nodded nervously. Fitz looked down at her and nervously started up the machine. “Okay, relax and don’t think about the machine. Let’s go back to...where do you want to go back to?”

“Hmm, the academy. There was a day I was working on this calculation but I couldn’t find the answer. I’ll see if I can recall it in my subconscious,” she told him and Fitz checked the computer - everything was normal so far. “Okay, back in the lab. Oh hello professor weaver! It’s strange to think we were only there a couple of weeks ago, it’s changed so much and yes, there’s my paper. I was looking to work out these concentrations...” Simmons started talking in biological terms which Fitz only partially understood, but he could see on her face the thought process seemed to be helping her. Maybe it would just depend on the mind it was used for as to whether the process was pleasant or frightening. “I’ve got it! Oh Fitz, write this down!” she waved her arm at him, her heart rate slightly higher, but nothing to be concerned with, and dictated to him. “Oh my goodness, this is brilliant. I’m thinking about things in a whole new way. It gives you such clarity!”

“Maybe I’ll try it after then,” Fitz considered. “Should I take you out of the state?”   
“No, no, I want to...oh dear, this was a very hungover night. I remember how bad I felt in the morning, but not what happened that night. We’re both there drinking.”

“Not an uncommon occurrence.”

“July 19th 2001. So that would have been after the exams...I wish more nights could be as relaxed as this,” Simmons recited what she was saying as she looked back at the memory. “I miss home sometimes...”

Fitz smiled slightly at the thought of her reliving those memories when it was just the two of them together. She did look happy being back in her own thoughts.

“But why won’t he look at me? Mr fancy pants Rodrigo with his stupid silky, glossy hair and his dark tanned skin and perfect teeth and form. I’m not that horrible a sight, am I Fitz?”

“Urgh, Rodrigo,” Fitz said in disgust. This older student from spain all the girls there had a crush on who turned out to be a genius mathematician. Yeah - a mathematician at working how to get his hair so perfect. Simmons had tried to get his attention numerous amounts of time to no avail.

“You’re biased though because you’re my friend. I just don’t understand what I’m doing wrong, why no one will notice me. I might spend most of my days in the lab with my hair tied back and with my goggles on, but in class I try to make some effort. After all, I’m not one of those girls who want to wear their short skirts and boots up to their thighs - it would be so uncomfortable to be, let alone a violation of several safety regulations. Oh Fitz, why doesn’t anyone want me?”

Fitz looked down at Simmons and saw a small tear in her eye. What was about to happen could elevate both their heart rates so it was time to shut this down.

“Simmons, I’m taking you out of this, now just relax, okay?” he pressed on his tablet.

“Yes! Wonderful idea, we should have a pact. Why haven’t we thought of this before? By the time we’re 40, we should...er...we sh...what’s going on?”

“It’s okay Jemma, it’s time to come out of it,” Fitz told her and started to unstrap her.

“But I want to know what was said!” she complained and looked up at him. “What was the pact about? I don’t remember!” she queried but he shook his head.

“Somethings are better left forgotten,” he told her and reached around her middle to undo the strap.

“CENTIPEDE PROJECT OVERRIDE.” a voice came from the computer and the monitoring screen started to jumble. Fitz looked over.

“What the bloody hell is...?”

A huge orange centipede appeared across the screen, flashing on and off. They weren’t going to let the team unlock their secrets that easily...

“Fitz...FITZ!” Jemma screamed out - and she started to shake uncontrollably in the machine. “NOOO! FITZ MAKE IT STOP!”

“Jemma...JEMMA! I don’t...” he pulled the plug out of the wall and shut the computer off but her heart started to beat faster. She cried out as Fitz pulled off the strap around the middle of her and placed his hands on her cheeks. “Jemma, it’s okay, it’s okay...” 

A flash of orange electricity struck out from the machine and hit Simmons on the forehead. She gasped once and looked into Fitz’s eyes but then lost consciousness and passed out - her body going limp. 

“JEMMA! Jem...” he leant in closer to her to feel for a pulse, but the same orange flash hit him from her forehead to his and Fitz fell on top of her, his world turning to black and he passed out too. There was no way he could save her now...

\-----

Location: Scotland

“I only got a blurry photo,” a teenager said to a police officer, showing him his phone. A photo of a giant shadowy form in the background - it could have been an elephant but it was far too big and elephants didn’t have that length of tail or that blueish tint. “But it’s definitely something huge.”

“Other people have sighted the same thing, thank you for this. Would you mind if we kept the photo?” the officer asked.

“As long as I can have my phone back after, sure,” the kid replied and the officer took it to a separate room, shutting the door behind him. 

“The tenth one this week, what is it?” the officer asked his female colleague who shook her head. 

“Maybe it’s time we call the army.”

“I was hoping you’d say that. This goes far beyond us...”

\-----

The Bus, Location: classified.

“What happened?” came Fitz’s voice as the room became clearer - head groggy as shapes formed back into objects. The screen was no longer flashing with the centipede and the lab looked normal.

“Some electrical flash caught us, from the machine and...” Simmons’s voice sounded different to her and she looked up from lying on top of...her own body? She looked in front of her seeing her own self lying down on the flat bed of the machine and brown eyes looking back up at her. Her own eyes. “What...” she looked over at the computer monitor which was now off and reflective instead.

“What’s ha...” Fitz looked up too and saw what she saw. Fitz’s body lying on top of Simmons’. He looked into his own blue eyes and realised. He yelled out loudly and Simmons screamed out too. “WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!” 

“WHAT DID YOU DO?!” Simmons jumped off the table and Fitz sat up, grabbing his tablet, seeing Simmons face reflected in it. 

“I DIDN’T DO ANYTHING!” 

The doors to the lab slid open and the pair looked over at Coulson, Skye, Ward and May. 

“Fitzsimmons? What’s going on?! What’s all the yelling about?!”

“HE’S ME!” Simmons pointed at her body.

“AND SHE’S ME!” Fitz pointed back. “OH MY GOD, I’M A GIRL. WHAT THE BLOODY HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO DO AS A GIRL?!”

“What on earth...?” May looked between them and Skye caught on and muffled laughter.

“How did this happen?! What we were you doing with that machine?” Coulson asked.

“We needed a human subject to test it on and so Fitz and I did rochambeau and I had a rock and he had paper so I went into the machine,” Simmons said and hyperventilated heavily through Fitz’s mouth whilst talking. “And it was quite nice, but then he turned the machine off and a centipede appeared on the screen and LEOPOLD FITZ DO NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT IT!” 

Fitz looked up from staring down at his new chest, his hands hovering in front. The team stared at him as he mouthed without forming words before his (actually Simmons’) cheeks went slightly pinker with embarrassment.

“Stupid machine - it’s done some sort of body swap.” Fitz said to them all. “There was a flash of orange light which first hit Simmons, then hit me. The next thing we knew I was in her body and she’s in mine and...how it happen? What are we going to do?!”

“Just keep calm, both of you,” Coulson said and walked over to the machine as Simmons and Fitz went over to each other, discussing what it was that they could feel and experience as each other. Ward went over with Coulson to look at the machine but he wasn’t sure on technology.

“Is there any science behind it? Body swaps?” Ward asked, confused.

“Only a brain transplant could explain this but they aren’t possible in such a short space of time,” Simmons said, standing uncomfortably, looking up and down at the body she was in. 

“Centipede could have tampered with it before, but I don’t understand how...” Fitz said. 

“Seriously am I the only one who finds this hilarious?” Skye laughed and they all looked at her. “I always said you two were psychically linked. Now you literally are!” 

“Skye!” Coulson warned her.

“It’s not at all funny!” Simmons said. “What if we’re stuck like this forever?”

“I’ll put us on a course to the hub and set up a call with them now,” May ran up the stairs.

“I’ll get my laptop to do some research on body swaps. Brilliant,” Skye muffled laughter.

“What should I do?” Ward asked his superior.

“Stay here with these two and make sure nothing else happens. If you two are calmer you can start trying to work out what went wrong. Do your...physical assessments and stuff...” Coulson wasn’t sure what else to say so fiddled with his suit jacket buttons, and hurried up the stairs to talk to the scientists at the Hub. Even he had no answers for this one...


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Slightly shorter chapter. I'm struggling a little with getting the plot into words, so updates may be slow :) sorry for the heavy communication - hope you're enjoying it so far! x

Location classified: On the way to The Hub

Fitzsimmons, once they had accepted the fact that they were in stuck each other’s bodies for a while, started to think clearly about what to do next. Simmons did full body checks on them both but couldn’t find any abnormalities or traces of the orange sparks. Physically, their bodies were exactly the same as before and the only change was their voices due to the fact that ‘voice was controlled by the folds of the larynx’ Simmons explained. Fitz’s scottish accent broke through Simmons, and she had an English accent through Fitz’s voice which was very confusing for everyone else on the Bus. 

Fitz, from an engineering perspective, concluded that the machine had a ‘fail-safe’ that would initiate if someone unauthorised used it. It also caused the machine to ultimately malfunction as the main screen on the side was damaged. That would need replacing, and where better than the Hub to find a way to fix it.

“I can’t believe this has happened,” Simmons said to Fitz - they were sat down in the main part of the Bus opposite Skye and Ward who were extremely confused and humoured.

“Well, I don’t particularly like the idea of being in you either,” Fitz replied. Skye let out a loud snorty laugh which she covered up with an over-exaggerated cough.

“But on the plus side, at least you know each other well and your brains are very similar?” Ward told them.“After a while no one will know anything different.”

“Very funny,” Fitz said.

“He’s right, imagine if it was me and one of you who swapped. I couldn’t handle all that sciencey stuff,” Skye told them, pointing to her head.

“But it’s not the brain side that matters, it’s...physically odd,” Simmons said.

“Oh, thanks very much,” Fitz replied and folded his arms awkwardly then put them by his side. “And how on earth do you fold your arms over...these. How do they not get in the way?”

“Please, I saw your face earlier, you weren’t complaining then!” she argued back. 

“Yes, well, like you said, it’s physically odd,” he replied. “This jumper itches also and this bra is...”

“FITZ!” Simmons punched him in the arm.

“Hey, that’s going to leave a bruise on you, not me when we fix this,” he told her. 

“Well, I might just have to go to the kitchen and drink another two cups of tea and then eventually I’ll need the loo, and see how you like your assets being a point of ridicule.”

“You wouldn’t...”

“You just stop me,” Simmons narrowed Fitz’s eyes and got up, walking rapidly towards the kitchen and Fitz in Simmons’ body followed behind her calling out her name. 

Skye and Ward were left alone and both broke out into laughter.

“I don’t know how this happened but it’s comedy gold,” Skye regained herself. “It’s even got you to show some emotions, robot.” She nudged Ward in the arm.

“How can it not? Fitz with breasts and Simmons as a guy?” he smiled. “I am so glad I’m not him.”

“Come on, you wouldn’t like to be in a hot girl’s body? Especially one you are crushing upon.”

“I don’t have a crush on Simmons?”

“Not you, dumbo. Fitz. He likes her, and I’ll bet that she likes him too. You should’ve seen her at the Hub, how worried she was. Tell me honestly, that you haven’t seen it.”

“He was aggravated the fact that he didn’t get to use the parachute to save Simmons.”

“Exactly, they may be in each other’s heads but it doesn’t mean they are good at communicating how they feel. All they need is a little time to see things from a different perspective,” Skye smiled and Ward nodded once. 

“We’re landing in five,” Coulson entered the room, walking off to strap himself in. Skye and Ward followed, seeing Fitzsimmons in the kitchen seemingly having a competition as to who could drink the most tea in one go. “Fitzsimmons stop messing about. Let’s try to get this sorted.” 

“Yes sir,” Fitz said.

“Sorry sir,” Simmons said after. “Well, go on then. Ladies first.”

“I was about to suggest that,” he told her but eventually the two ended up walking side by side. “Do you think it’ll take long to switch us back?”

“It didn’t take long for us to be switched in the first place, so I imagine not.” Simmons went to play with her longer hair but as she was without it, she brushed her hand into Fitz’s curly hair instead. She’d always appreciated how soft it was naturally - the situation could have been worse, she supposed. “Thank you though, for helping me when I was in the machine.”

“I told you I would,” Fitz smiled Simmons’ smile at her. “I wish I’d gone in instead. It looked painful.”

“It was only painful after you started to shut it down and the centipede appeared. It was like...my memories and thoughts were getting pulled out and were floating. Not my own,” she told him, placing her hands in the pockets of Fitz’s cardigan. “But what if we’d tested it on someone else and this had happened?”

“Neither of us could have known,” Fitz reassured her. “Don’t think about it that way.”

“You’re right. Looking forward to the future where this will be fixed,” Simmons nodded. “But...” she said, putting Fitz’s hand on her own arm, making Fitz look up. “I am glad its you that I swapped with.”

“Me too,” Fitz smiled back. “And I might not even need to strap myself in. Your boobs will soften my landing.”

“Oh!” Simmons slapped him in the arm again and Fitz chuckled with Simmons’ laugh as they joined the rest of the team and strapped themselves into their seats. “We are very sorry, sir.” She told Coulson. “We shouldn’t have tried it, but we know how it works now. We just...weren’t expecting it to go wrong.”

“Apology accepted. As if we didn’t need another difficulty in telling you two apart,” Coulson smiled. “We’ll get it sorted, I promise. Although, if you hadn’t told us, we probably wouldn’t have guessed there was anything different about you two.”

“That’s what I said,” Ward smiled.

“Ha-ha,” Simmons said and folded her arms in a typical Simmons way which made the other three laugh.

“It’s like when married couples start to pick up habits and gestures from each other,” Ward said. “Should we start calling them Simmons-Fitz?”

“Everyone’s a comedian,” Fitz said and folded his arms in the same way, but cursed slightly when he remembered his previous issue to folding his arms. Skye sniggered as the plane went down for landing. Fitz’s ears never usually popped during this so it startled him when Simmons’ did. 

The Bus landed in the hangar of the Hub and Fitzsimmons jumped up out of their seats, walking forward with Coulson down the ramp of the plane.

“What do you want us to do, sir?” Ward asked.

“Can we stay here?” Skye added.

“Sure, I’ll keep you updated,” Coulson didn’t turn back and Fitzsimmons only waved in unison as if nothing about them had changed at all.

Coulson and Fitzsimmons spent an hour spent in the labs of The Hub with various scientists but the conclusion was far from simple. The theta brainwaves had been expanded in both their brains turning the mind into an entity of their own. The orange flash somehow transferred their minds between the two of them, although that bit was still sketchy. The machine itself, however, was unusable. The main screen needed to be fixed and it would need to be examined.

“How did you come across this machine? Were you two the first to use it?” a level 5 engineer asked.

“Yes,” Coulson lied. “We found it at a Centipede base. I asked Fitzsimmons to look it over but never thought that this would happen.”

“Okay. It’s going to take at least 24 hours to repair it,” the engineer said. “We’ll get our best people on it.”

“24 hours?! A whole day?” Fitz said. 

“What are we meant to do until then?” Simmons asked. 

“Maybe do some more research in the lab?” the engineer suggested and walked away - he wasn’t very good with people skills.

“Why did you lie about not using it, sir?” Simmons asked Coulson quietly. “It could help them understand?”

“I’m afraid that’s classified,” was his reply. “We don’t want that information getting into...”

“Coulson!” May’s voice came from behind and Coulson turned around to face the woman. “We have a serious problem. We’ve got reports from Scotland that you need to see.”

“Scotland?!” Fitz said. “Well...what’s happened?”

“Come with me,” May said. Fitz looked back at Simmons and walked after May.

“Give us a moment,” Coulson said to the engineers. He and Simmons followed quickly in pursuit.

“You’ll have to see it to believe it,” May insisted, quickening her pace in her black heeled boots as they walked through the Hub towards the plane. 

Skye and Ward were already there with shocked looks on their faces and Skye furiously typing on her laptop. Fitz in Simmons’s body was the first to see after May.

“What the bloody hell is that?!” he exclaimed and looked at Simmons who stood next to him.

“Oh my God!” she squeaked.

Coulson saw the report and looked up at May with a million questions in his head.

“People in the UK and mainly Scotland have sighted this monster and reported it to the authorities. There have been 13 sightings and this is the clearest picture anyone has. It’s hiding in caves near the lochs.” May made the screen larger showing a gargantuan blue-grey monster with tusks, a domed head and huge arms and legs with only four fingers and toes. The tail was almost pre-historic and spiky.

“Could this be the loch-ness monster?” Ward asked and Fitz shook Simmons’ head, curly hair bouncing.

“It’s a myth, totally fake. This is something completely different. Nessie doesn’t look anything like that, if she was real.” 

“But why is it hiding around the lochs? It doesn’t need to swim by the looks of it. When was the first sighting?” Simmons asked.

“About three months ago but that wasn’t followed up. Near greenwich,” Skye had the information on her laptop.

“Then there’s only one explanation. It’s Asgardian.” 

“From Asgard?!” Fitz exclaimed.

“Hold on Skye,” Simmons said. “Can you find a book on norse mythology on there with pictures. I used to read a lot of these back at the Academy. Purely as fantasy as it's not science.” Skye flicked through and Simmons instructed her. “There!” Simmons pointed and Skye turned her laptop round. “It’s beast that can be frozen for years from the realm of Jotunheim. I can’t even pronounce the native name, but it’s similar in colour to the frost giants from there.”

“Can we talk to that guy? The Asgardian? Professor Randolph?” Skye asked. 

“I’d rather not, you saw how he was with the Beserker staff. Plus, he never went to Jotunheim,” Coulson replied. “I’ll talk to Fury, see if we can get some back up. May, set a course for Scotland. You two...” he indicated Fitzsimmons. “Are you staying here? We could use the help?”

Fitz and Simmons looked at one another.

“We need to both make sure we agree on the same thing. No point just one of us staying,” Fitz said. “What do you want to do?”

“Well, a real life Asgardian monster. It would prove so useful for research.” Simmons said. “What do you think?”

“It’s Scotland, I can’t pass up that chance,” Fitz said to her. “I wouldn’t go home to see my mum like this, but I do know the country. But if you want to stay?”

“We can get them to update us and fly back from the airport as soon as they’re able to switch us? 24 hours is going to be a long time to wait and they don’t seem to want to monitor us further?” Simmons added and Fitz nodded. “So it’s settled?”

“Yes, we’ll come with you. Just until they fix the machine,” Fitz nodded and Simmons agreed, both smiling. 

“If you’re sure,” Coulson smiled and they nodded.

“You two sure you’re okay with this?” Skye asked and Fitz smiled, excited at the prospect of going back to his home country and that Simmons would be there with him. 

“Yeah, we’re still a part of the team...” 

“...even if we are each other,” Simmons ended Fitz’s sentence.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the support so far for this :) Just a short chapter for now x

Location: The Bus, on the way to Inverness. 

Fitz had informed the team that in the Scottish Highlands, there would be nowhere to hide the bus, so they would have to keep it at Inverness airport - that would mean staying in near the lake itself, so they would need to book into a hotel there and go undercover. May and Ward disliked the idea but Fitz reassured them that Scotland was beautiful - albeit cold. . There was no back-up this time - Fury told them that after 48 hours, if needed, that would arrive. He just wanted Coulson and the team to scout out what was going on at first, and gave Fitzsimmons a long scalding about changing into each other. Everyone went to their rooms to pack for the trip - Coulson told them that they’d need two days worth of clothes at a maximum, plus their hidden firearms, the science equipment and other gadgets to help them. Packing shouldn’t take long, but for Fitzsimmons, they were of course having to pack for each other.

“This is so warm!” Simmons in Fitz’s body squealed and placed a jumper of Fitz’s over her head.

“My mum gave me that one, have had it for years,” Fitz smiled back, legs crossed and sat on Simmons’ bed. “Are you really taking that much?”

“Yes Fitz,” she folded up the clothes. “Although I am surprised how few pairs of underwear you have.” 

“I’d rather not talk about underwear with you thank you very much,” Fitz blushed slightly. “In fact I’d much prefer you not going down there.”

“You want me to wear the same pair all this time? Honestly, you’re so unhygienic,” Simmons zipped up the bag. “Right, your turn.”

Simmons carried the bag towards her own bunk and Fitz followed. 

“I can’t wait to get out of this jumper,” Fitz said and went to open the wardrobe.

“I’ll do that, thank you,” Simmons said and hit him on the hand slightly, so Fitz once again was stuck sat on the bed watching. “This one is very comfortable, you’ll like it.” She passed back a red one and Fitz felt it, agreeing and pulled off the current jumper.

“Jemma Simmons, you minx,” Fitz smiled and looked down at the white, thin material, strappy top that she had been wearing underneath the jumper. “At least I get a better view now.”

“Fitz! Oh, I’d forgotten I’d put that on this morning...” Simmons huffed and sat on the bed next to him, raising his chin up so he couldn’t stare down the top. “I’m glad you find this so funny.”

“Being this close to the body of a beautiful woman is something I won’t be complaining about. This top leaves nothing to the imagination,” Fitz looked in the mirror and Simmons smiled slightly. It did look good on her.

“Beautiful?” she said and he smiled, embarrassed again. “Please, put a jumper on me,” she said and handed him the red one, sitting back on the bed. “Fitz, why did you shut down the machine in that memory?” 

Fitz looked at her and then away, pulling the jumper down. 

“I just...it’s not something significant and it was making you upset. It’s a good thing I stopped when I did in case something else happened.” 

“But what happened that night? I really can’t remember. I wanted to find out. Please tell me?” she said and looked at him.

“You don’t need to know.”

“So something did happen? Oh gosh, it wasn’t about Rodrigo was it?” she asked but Fitz shook his head, Simmons hair flying to the sides as he did. “Oh come on, it can’t be that bad, can it?” she said to him.

“Well, I don’t want to tell you. You’ll think differently of me,” Fitz replied and tried to get up but Simmons held him back with a hand on her own shoulder. “Jemma...”

“Leo, tell me?” she said once more but he didn’t speak. “You forget that you’re in my body and I know exactly where I am tickilish. If you won’t tell me, I’ll just have to make you.” 

Simmons leant forward and started tickling her own waist (which felt very weird for her) and heard Fitz laugh in her laugh.

“Simmons! Stop! Jemma!” Fitz laughed and tried to wriggle away but as Simmons had Fitz’s body (and he was stronger than her) she managed to pin him down on the bed and continue. “Jemma! This is really weird for me!” 

“Tell me and I’ll stop!” she laughed herself and broke out into a smile, lying on top of him.

“Alright! Alright!” he laughed. “Bloody hell, I’m heavier than I thought.” Their eyes met and the two stared at each other for a while.

Whilst they were looking into their own eyes, there was still a glimpse of each other in them.

“Being in your body has it’s advantages,” Simmons said and Fitz pushed her up off him and sat up. “Now, tell me what happened that night.”

“Okay, but promise me you won’t think differently of me when I do,” he looked at her and she nodded.

“I promise,” she put a hand on her arm.

“Well, we were both drunk and decided that by 40 we should have pact to get married to each other if neither of us are married and that by 30, if we are still single then we should start...having sex to make sure we like it.”

“Oh...”

“Exactly. And then you...” Fitz sighed. “You decided you thought 30 was too far away so we could start now as a casual thing and you kissed me. And I let you. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have taken advantage like that, but I was drunk, it was nice. I stopped you though after a few seconds because I didn’t want you to regret it.”

“Is that what you were worried about telling me?”

“Not quite. You then tried to get my trousers open with your teeth because you thought it was ‘sexy.’”

“Oh dear...”

“And...then when you couldn’t, you threw up in my lap...”

“Oh no...oh kill me now!” Simmons put her head in her hands and Fitz patted her on his bad. “I’m so sorry! What happened after that?”

“Well, naturally I had to get them off, so I borrowed some of your loose jogging pants, helped you clean yourself up and then you fell asleep in my arms,” Fitz smiled slightly at the memory. However, she hadn’t remembered and they were back to normal in the morning. “I left around 5am which is why I wasn’t there in the morning.”

“Oh my God, Fitz...that’s so sweet of you,” she said to him, looking up. “Thank you for looking after me.”

“I always do,” he told her. “And for your information, I know where I am tickilish too.” He poked her in the side making her flinch slightly with a smile. 

There was a knock on the door and the two looked up at Ward.

“You two ready?” he asked the pair.

“Five more minutes,” Simmons said and patted Fitz on her shoulder and got up. Ward nodded and left with his one small bag. “I’ll give you another two jumpers and my comfy shoes. Last thing I need is you complaining about your feet hurting.”

“Your feet are much smaller than mine, I wouldn’t even notice anyway,” was his reply.

Whilst Simmons packed a similar sized bag of her clothes for Fitz to take, she realised that it was indeed much more simple being male. They wouldn’t need hairburshes and make up and female cosmetics - although Fitz didn’t understand why it was all necessary. Finally, after Fitz decided to rumage through the underwear that Simmons had chosen and commented on how he could probably engineer a bra which would be much easier to get on and off than the ones she had, the two were ready. They joined the rest of the team as the plane landed at Inverness airport. They hid it in a hangar and Coulson showed his badge to the staff, saying they were there on government business. 

“Which car are we taking?” Ward asked.

“An inconspicuous one,” Coulson said and chose a large black one which fitted all six of them in - at a squeeze. “Fitz, can you direct us?”

“Of course sir,” he said. “Shotgun.”

“I’ll drive,” Ward said and Coulson threw him the keys, getting in the back with the girls - and Fitz. 

“This is cosy,” Skye commented and smiled. “Bloody freezing eh lassie?” she tapped Fitz on the shoulder to which he ‘tsked’ from the front of the car.

“Road trips are fun, aren’t they?” Coulson said to May who just rolled her eyes, silent as usual as they set off on their drive.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Excuse the poor joke scene at the end but it was too good to leave that part out :P

Location: Loch Ness, Scotland

The drive took an hour and a half and Fitz pointed out the sights of the Highlands reminiscing about home. Throughout the drive with rolling hills behind them, the team monitored the areas for any signs of an Asgardian object but there was nothing. The time difference meant that it was getting darker outside, but the team were ready to work, so instead of booking into a hotel, they drove towards where the last sighting had been. Loch Ness...

“It’s the biggest loch in Scotland by volume. Technically the surface area of Loch Lomond is greater but Ness is the deepest. There’s plenty of places that it could hide around there.” 

“We don’t even know whether it’ll be there though and if it is, how are we going to get rid of it?” Skye said. 

“Are you sure that you don’t want to talk to Professor Randolph?” May asked Coulson. “Even if he hasn’t been to Jotunheim, he may still know where we can look?”

“Like I said before, I’d rather not bother him. He’s in Portland, giving norse mythology a time-out,” Coulson replied. “I’ll think about it.”

“We’re here, stop Ward,” Fitz said and Ward parked in a small car-park and got out of the car. “Now would you look at that...”

The rest of the team exited the car and looked out over the darkened loch, the sun setting and the sky reflecting colours of pink and purple across the vast bed of still water. For a few moments, it was just breathtaking to watch. 

“It’s stunning, so wonderful,” Simmons smiled and Fitz nodded.

“Should we get to work?” Ward asked and Coulson nodded as the team unloaded the van. Fitzsimmons decided to get some photos and the odd selfie. 

“By day it’s just as beautiful,” Fitz told them, and started discussing more about the Highlands and the surrounding area whilst they got to work. The loch itself spanned 37km, a huge distance to scan so instead of using a tablet to check the spectrographic signatures of the area, they had programmed the eight D.W.A.R.F.S. to do the same. Fitz let them out of the case and they started to scan the night. 

“Have you been here before?” Skye asked Simmons. “Is your home far from Scotland?”

“Some distance,” she replied. “I’ve only been up to this Loch once but I’ve been to Scotland, yes. I stayed up here with Fitz over one of our summers at the Academy whilst we were researching for a project.”

“Wow, that’s big,” Skye nudged her (Fitz’s) arm. “Seriously, I don’t believe that you two are ‘just friends.’”

“We are, what else would we be?”

“You’re always together, you’re like a little unit. You’re like a ready-made couple without being one. And I know that you two have feelings for each other.”

“We’re just friends Skye,” Simmons assured her, reading the tablet to see how the D.W.A.R.F.S were getting on. “Fitz doesn’t have feelings for me and I don’t have feelings for him.”

“Yeah, say that looking in my eyes next time,” Skye said and Simmons blushed again. 

“Grumpy has something!” Fitz called out and the team rushed over. “Definitely alien, quite large. About 20 kilometres from here.”

“Car?” May said and Coulson nodded. 

They all climbed inside and Ward followed Fitz’s instructions as they drove back onto the road past the huge lake. The remaining D.W.A.R.F.S. were instructed to join grumpy at its location. 

“There! It’s...bloody hell...”

“Oh my God...” May said as Ward stopped the car - the team slowly got out - Coulson at the front. 

“Shit...” Skye exclaimed. Simmons remained close to Fitz.

Across the water was the huge beast’s shadow and it was pawing at the D.W.A.R.F.S., snapping it’s jaws at them. 

“Grumpy!” Fitzsimmons exclaimed at once as the first dwarf went down, swallowed up by the beast. Fitz instructed the others to come back immediately and the beast looked around confused, before retreating back into a cave high up the rock face - it seemed to be unusually fast at climbing.

“Oh...” Simmons looked at the tablet. “Will he be okay?”

“I don’t know if...hold on...he’s out! I guess maybe it vomitted him up. It’s a good thing that grumpy went there - he’s the one who can monitor the heat sensors so we’ll know...”

“...exactly where the monster is going. And now he’s covered in...ugh...what seems to be alien phlegm,” Simmons pointed to the tablet. “He can send that data to us and we can monitor the beast.”

“Brilliant! Can we get a visual?” Coulson asked and Fitz nodded showing the heat pattern of the monster which showed up as blues and greens.

“By the looks of it, it’s not used to the warmer temperatures, even if Scotland is cold. That’s why it must be hiding in the cave, it’s below freezing in there,” he said. “Maybe that’s why it’s stayed in one place. It’s ill...”

“Aww, that’s so sad...” Simmons said and Fitz looked at her. “Well, it’s still an animal. It really needs to get back to Jotunheim or even to the arctic.”

“It’d be better of destroyed,” Ward said. “How are we going to get it alive and off earth?”

“I think we need to consult an expert,” Coulson said. “I’ll report the findings back to HQ and contact Fury again. “Are people likely to get into that cave?”

“I doubt it, it’s not that accessible,” Fitz replied.

“Okay, I suggest we reconsider in the morning. See if we can get closer to it once we know how to deal with it.”

“Do we have to? I quite like not being a meal for a freaking giant dinosaur thing!” Skye said.

“It’s what we’re here for,” Coulson reminded her. “We need to remain close by so I suggest we check into a hotel. Fitz, you know the area, lead the way.”

“Yes sir,” he said and the team returned to the car, leaving the beast and grumpy behind.

The hotel they chose was overlooking the loch itself called the Clansman. It was small, but adequate for what they needed. Dinner was being served and so they decided to book rooms and then eat. After all, it was rare they got some time off so they should at least enjoy themselves on their break. 

“I’m starving,” Simmons said and Fitz smiled at her.

“I knew I would be,” he replied. 

“There are three twin rooms, and two doubles left. How do we want to do it?” Coulson asked.

“Twins are better,” May said and Ward gave her a side look. “Skye and I can take one.”

“Fitzsimmons should probably share too,” Skye commented. “You know, to keep an eye on each other.” Fitzsimmons looked at each other and then agreed - it’s not as if they hadn’t shared a room before.

“Okay, settled,” Coulson said. “Take some time to relax, we have a busy day ahead of us tomorrow.”

Coulson checked them in as an American tourist party and the team settled down for dinner in the quaint restaurant with wooden chairs and a green checked carpet, talking in hushed words about how they would tackle the problem of the beast. Grumpy was monitoring it as it lay asleep in the cave seeing it had very different anatomy to anything they’d come across on earth. It was going to be a tricky job to even get near it let alone get rid of it.

“What if instead of telling the professor that there’s a beast on earth, we just tell him we’re into looking at it for research?” Ward suggested. “That way, he won’t feel the need to come over here if you want to keep it a secret from him.”

“That’s true, but he’ll know if I ask him about it as S.H.I.E.L.D. doesn’t just ‘ask questions,’” Coulson replied.

“Fitzsimmons could do it? As scientists completely away from S.H.I.E.L.D.,” May said.

“Yes, yes we could,” Simmons looked at Fitz.

“You’re forgetting one thing. We’re not ourselves, and he will know something is up because, no offence Simmons, you cannot lie to save yourself,” Fitz replied. 

“Which is why you’d do the talking,” Coulson said. “He had a crush on Simmons and if you are pretending to be her, I’m sure he’d give out the information.” 

“Oh please,” Simmons laughed slightly. 

“I’d forgotten about that,” Fitz said. “So you want me to flirt with an Asgardian professor? Wonderful, bloody wonderful.”

“Oh go on Fitz,” Simmons said and put a hand on his arm. “I’ll be there with you too, pretending to be you to ask all the important questions about the biochemical side.”

“Fine...fine, but I don’t like the idea one bit,” he said and the rest of the team hid their smiles from him. 

They set up all the scientific equipment in Coulson and Ward’s room. The cream coloured rooms were quite large with two small beds, some chairs, a television and an en-suite. Grumpy continued to monitor the sleeping beast and the data continued to be analysed. May left to go to her room and Ward suspiciously left to go for a walk a few minutes later.

“Here you go, he’s ready,” Coulson told them and handed Fitz his own tablet. “Just press call.”

Fitz did and the video call started and they were met with the face of Elliot Randolph whom they hadn’t seen for a while. 

“Professor Randolph,” Fitz said, making Simmons’ voice slightly higher than normal. “How graciously lovely to see you.”

“Dr Simmons, looking as lovely as when we last met. Hope everything is okay?”

“Yes thank you, my lab partner and I were doing some research on norse mythology and we were looking at the different types of creatures from the different realms. You remember Leo Fitz,” Fitz showed the tablet to Simmons who waved awkwardly as Fitz would. 

“Nice to see you again professor,” she tried to put on his scottish accent. “There was erm...one monster that we didn’t really understand much about.”

“There wasn’t much information. It looks like this,” Fitz showed him the picture they had found before of the frost monster. “Please could you give us some information, it would help so much.” Fitz exaggerated and Simmons kicked him (her own foot).

“Ah...the frost beast,” the professor said and said the native name after which none of them caught. “Never seen one myself but they are huge, ferocious beasts. The frost giants can keep them frozen for years and they have extreme speed and strength.”

“Yes, that’s right, and these monsters don’t like to be in warmer climates I understand?”

“That is right, but of course they can adapt and eventually they will be able to live in warmer worlds. Then it would be even more dangerous. Of course it’s nothing to worry about as none have ever made it to earth.” he said to Fitz (whom he thought was Simmons.)

“Yes, of course, professor, if hypothetically that did occur,” Simmons began. “How could it be got rid of? Does it have a weakness?”

“If it is caught before the change is made then it is slightly possible, but once it is at full strength and speed, no man or woman could stop it. It would destroy the earth. Sorry to be so morbid,” the professor said and Fitzsimmons looked at one another, smiling flatly. “However, it does have one flaw. It has a huge head and a blind spot below the chin. From there it is possible to pierce into the heart but again, it would take a powerful warrior to do that.” 

“Sounds invincible,” Simmons commented and Fitz nodded. 

“But not to worry, like I said before, they’ll never make to earth,” the professor smiled. “Is there any other information you want to know dear?”

“No thank you, that’s all we wanted to know,” Fitz smiled. 

“Well it was wonderful for an old asgardian like me to hear from a lovely young thing as yourself. In fact, I can personally provide you with some more information if you were to come up to Portland?” 

“Wow...” Skye mouthed. “Professor has game...”

“Oh...erm...well...” Fitz started to go red, completely confused.

“Actually, he...er...she...” Simmons cut in. “We’re on holiday at the moment in Scotland, so we won’t be free for a while...” Simmons was uncertain what to do to rescue Fitz so without thinking, put her arm around his (her own) shoulders and started playing with her own hair. 

“Oh boy,” Coulson whispered to Skye who looked like she was about to squeal and jump out of her seat. Fitz looked absolutely clueless but played along, secretly smiling, leaning towards Simmons’ hand.

“Oh, I’m sorry Fitz, I didn’t realise. Well, of course I did, you’re inseparable, but you can’t blame a man for trying!” the professor laughed. “But if you two need any help let me know.”

“We...er...will...” he said. “Thank you again, bye!”

Fitz shut off the conversation. 

“Simmons?” he looked at her and she mouthed wordlessly.

“Well, when we get switched back, I’m the one who’s going to have to go up there with him. I’d rather not do that alone, no matter how fascinating it is to speak to a real life Asgardian warrior,” she blushed. 

“Yeah right, you two are so meant to be,” Skye laughed to herself. An awkward silence fell where Fitzsimmons refused to meet each other’s eyes.

“Well done anyway you two, you got the information,” Coulson said and took the tablet, patting Fitz on the shoulder. “So, how long until it starts to adapt to our climate?”

“I’m not sure, but we’ll have to monitor it, but at the current rate, it seems to be declining rather than improving,” Fitz told him.

“Once it starts to increase in core body temperature, heart rate and strength which grumpy will be able to check with the heat patterns, that’s when we need to start worrying...” Simmons added. “So we need to work fast...” 

“Right...well, leave the stuff here overnight and I’ll knock if it changes,” Coulson said and Fitzsimmons nodded. “Especially if you two are heading back soon.”

“We haven’t heard anything from the Hub, we should check up with them how they are getting on,” Fitz said and Simmons nodded.   
The four looked out of the window at the Loch.

“So peaceful, isn’t it? Who would’ve thought - there really is a Loch Ness Monster,” Coulson said.

“Well, if Nessie is real and it meets that thing, it will crap its pants,” Skye laughed and Coulson smiled too. 

The door opened and Ward entered, his hair less neat compared to before and a flush in his cheeks.

“Sir, Skye, Fitzsimmons. What did I miss?”

“Coulson will fill you in, I’m going to bed,” Skye yawned. “Which I hope has not been used at all by him and May,” she muttered under her breath so only Coulson heard - he cracked a small smile and then started to talk. 

“We’ll head off too sir, keep us updated on how it goes,” Fitz said.

“Goodnight,” Simmons smiled and the two got up walking towards the door, shutting it behind them.

The three walked along towards their rooms along the small, brown corridor with blue carpet and pictures on the wall of different Scottish landmarks. 

“Should I knock first or...surely May won’t...urgh I don’t want to think about it,” Skye reached her door. Number 23 (Fitzsimmons were in 24 and the others in 22.) “So, now the real challenge for you two begins.”

“Come again?” Simmons said.

“What?” Fitz asked at the same time, words overlapping.

“You’ll see,” Skye grinned from ear to ear. “Seriously, oblivious. See you lovebirds in the morning.”

Skye knocked on the door as Fitzsimmons looked at one another, walking to room 24.

“Lovebirds? The girl has one thing on her mind,” Fitz commented.

“We’re only sharing a room, nothing else, well except...” Simmons started and looked Fitz in the eye, finding herself inhaling a breath. “Except bodies.”

“I was going to ask you about that,” Fitz said and opened the door with their key, allowing Simmons to go first, feeling odd to see himself from behind. 

“Oh this room is lovely, look at the view!” Simmons went over to the window and Fitz shut the door behind them, his hands shaking. They’d shared rooms before and of course there was that night at the Academy when they’d drunkenly kissed, but this was different. He knew what he was feeling now. “What were you going to ask me?”

“Erm...are you...planning to shower on the trip or...because if you are...” 

“Of course I will! But right now, I really need the loo,” she told him. 

“Do you have to? Can’t you hold it?”

“Fitz, do you want me to ruin these boxers? I promise I will keep my eyes shut,” she said and closed the bathroom door.

“Well...good luck with that one...” Fitz said and chose a bed away from the window and lay down on it, leaning Simmons’ arms behind her head and looked up with her eyes at the ceiling. “Wait for it...”

“IT’S GOING EVERYWHERE! HOW DO YOU CONTROL THIS THING?!” he heard his own startled voice from the bathroom and Fitz couldn’t help but laugh. 

“Skye’s right. This is going to be a challenge...”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This one gets a little naughty, but it's okay, it's all good fun :P - watch out for the twist!

Location: Loch Ness, Scotland

Simmons re-entered the room in socks as opposed to shoes and Fitz looked at her with a smile. 

“It’s not as easy as it looks. I’ve left your shoes by the heater,” she folded his arms and sighed. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay,” he smiled and she walked over to her bed. “Someday we’ll remember this day and laugh about it.”

“I really hope so,” she sat down.

“Hope you put the seat down,” Fitz said and she smiled, looking up at him. “I spoke to the Hub, they have made a small amount of progress and said they would call in 9 hours.”

“So plenty of time to sleep,” she said and started to undress.

“Whoa...Simmons, give me some privacy please...” 

“What? It’s your body. You’ve seen it, I’ve seen more than I bargained for.”

“Well, I...still...” 

“Fine! You can go into the bathroom but the floor is wet. Don’t slip, and don’t stare at me either!” she instructed him.

“The same goes for you,” he pointed up and down at Simmons. He closed the door behind him with the pyjamas that Simmons had chosen and went into the bathroom. “Holy crap Jemma, was there a flood?!”

“Shut up!” she called back and giggled slightly, placing a hand to her (Fitz’s) hair. “Oh boy...”

Simmons changed into Fitz’s white and green monkey pyjamas too and smiled to herself - she was pleased that Fitz was the person she had been swapped with and that he was going through the same thing as her. She had hardly even considered the monster that lay only a few kilometres away from them, but at least he was there to keep her safe if something went wrong. 

Fitz exited the bathroom quite red in the face with a big smile in Simmons’ pyjamas - pink spotty ones and walked into the room.

“These are very comfortable,” he commented.

“Oh, yeah, because that’s why you’re smiling,” Simmons rolled her eyes. “Fitz, we will be okay after this? Things won’t change between us?”

“Well, they might do, Simmons, but we won’t let that be a problem,” he said and sat down on his bed. “I was more worried when I told you about that memory. This,” he indicated the two of them, “Is just a physical change. We’re still ourselves. We’ll be ourselves again.”

“Why are you so worried about that night? We were both drunk, it really doesn’t matter?” she asked him.

“I just...I didn’t want you to think I do that. Kiss girls when they are drunk and vulnerable. I want you to be able to trust me,” he told her. “I ruined it didn’t I?”

“No, no you didn’t,” she told him. “In fact, I’ve been thinking.”

“About what?” he lay down on the bed.

“Oh, no don’t do that, sit up. My hair will look a dreadful sight in the morning if you sleep on it like that, no, no, come here,” she said and Fitz looked up, walking awkwardly over to Simmons’ bed. She pointed to the floor and he sat down in front of her crossing his (her) legs. “I’ll plait it.”

“It’s so much easier being a guy,” Fitz said and she nudged him with her (his) foot. “This feels odd...really nice though.”

“Good, but I’ve been thinking about the pact and I think we should do it,” Simmons said and Fitz looked up into his own blue eyes. “Maybe 40 is a bit of an exaggeration because I don’t know about you but I’m a traditionalist and would prefer marriage and then if I wanted children after I would give it a few years, so maybe 35 is a better choice.”

“Well, if you're sure. What about the other part? Having sex at 30? Do you want to push that down by 5 years too because we’re both over that...”

“I think...erm...that we can keep as 30...or at least, when we’re certain we won’t be with anyone else,” she nodded and Fitz nodded. “But of course, we’ll reconsider at the time too.”

“Yes of course,” he agreed and coughed slightly. “Erm...yeah...”

“Right, the plaits are done, you can sleep now,” Simmons told him and Fitz got up and looked in the mirror. 

“They look very cute,” he said and smiled. 

“Are you worried about the monster?” she asked him, looking up. “Will grumpy be okay?”

“Coulson would let us know if he wasn’t,” he told her and patted her on the arm slightly before going back to draw the curtains and lay down on the bed. Simmons turned off the light. “Goodnight Jemma.”

“Goodnight. Don’t you...do anything whilst you’re asleep.”

“What, like have dreams about what I saw earlier? Would be a bit narcissistic now wouldn’t it? Sleep well...”

“You too,” she yawned and lay down on the pillow, shutting her eyes. She’d be safe tonight...

\-----

Location: Portland, Oregon, USA. 

Professor Elliot Randolph was sipping coffee, looking out the window at his view - beautiful. He loved the earth and he would never tire of it. The morning’s colours, birds, squirrels, sunshine...he could stare forever.

There was however, a knock on the door that interrupted him and he got up to answer it, putting his mug down on the table.

“Rodrigo! Come on in, you’re early!” the professor smiled and greeted the man with a smile. Rodrigo, a 6 foot gentleman from Spain and S.H.I.E.L.D. had been working with the professor in Seville before on a project at the University of Seville and had dropped in to visit. “I trust the journey was okay?”

“It was perfect, it’s a beautiful country and a very long time since I have been in America,” he spoke with a masculine, spanish accent. “A delight to hear that you are here too. Why did you move from the University?”

“A long story my friend, I’ll make some more coffee and I’ll tell you a bit of what I’ve been up to. And you can tell me your stories too! My my, has it really been 12 years?”

“And you don’t look a day older!” Rodrigo laughed, brushing back through his dark hair.

“And neither do you, of course,” Elliot smiled. “Asgardian blood keeps us young!”

The pair chatted and for the morning, time flying by about their lives on earth and memories of their time at the University back in spain.

“I graduated from the Academy in 2006 but returned home to pursue work there for the government. Whilst I enjoyed being with S.H.I.E.L.D., I missed Spain and sometimes didn’t agree with the work they did. It was very hush hush,” Rodrigo explained.

“It’s funny you should mention S.H.I.E.L.D. because have a good friend there, Phil Coulson, very high up and I spoke to his colleagues Jemma Simmons and Leo Fitz just yesterday. Beautiful girl, lovely couple really.” 

“I know them! They were there when I was at the Academy. Agreed, she is a beautiful young, woman. I never thought much of Fitz, he was very awkward and shy. Why did they call you?”

“They were researching for a project on frost monsters. They seemed worried in case one turned up on earth of all things,” the professor laughed and Rodrigo looked up at him. 

“Where exactly did you say they were? In America?”

“Oh no, they’re on holiday in Scotland, where the young fellow is from,” Elliot told him.

“Okay...well, it would be nice to pay a visit to them. Catch up for old time’s sake.”

“Oh yes, that would be wonderful. Should I tell them that you want to see them?”

“No...no it’s okay, I’ll...surprise them,” Rodrigo smiled with white, bright teeth and continued drinking his coffee.

\-----

Location: Loch Ness, Scotland

It had been a peaceful night for Fitz and Simmons, although she had woken up once in the night confused slightly in her theta-wave induced dream state, but remembered she was in Fitz’s body and fell back to sleep, forgetting all about the monster and grumpy.

She awoke again around 4 in the morning (British time, due to jet lag) and was rather surprised at what she had found.

“Fitz! Are you awake? Fitz!”

“I was sleeping but now I am. What’s wrong?” he asked her, blinking back. “Wait what... oh...the body swap...right...”

“Exactly and what is this?” she said and pointed to a bulge in the pyjama bottoms.

“Oh...er...that...er...” Fitz went red, even it was dark, she could tell. “Sometimes happens.”

“Delightful,” she said and then got up out of the bed. “I’m going to go sort this out.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa...” Fitz leapt out of his bed and stood in her way. “How exactly are you planning on doing that?”

“I understand what to do. Wasn’t expecting to have to do this on myself specifically but...”

“No, no you are not allowed.”

“Excuse me?”

“That’s...personal and very...weird, it’s weird Simmons...”

“But Fitz! Do you want me to walk around with an erection all day?” she put her (his) hands on her (his) hips.

“If you have to. It’ll go soon. Just go back to sleep, it’s very early in the morning,” he put his (her) hands on her (his) shoulders and made her sit back down in the bed.

“Fine,” she huffed and lay on her (his) back, placing her (his) arms behind her (his) head. She waited a few moments. “Are you still awake?”

“Yes Simmons, but I’m trying to sleep.”

“Oh don’t sleep, let’s chat, like the old days.”

“About what?”

“I don’t know...the monster, Scotland, us?”

“What about us?” he turned over and looked at her. 

“The body-swap,” she clarified and he made an ‘oh’ gesture with his mouth before lying back. 

Simmons being the more ballsy of the two (physically now as well) decided it was time to break the ice between them further. After all, they were just friends and they were alone in the room, and especially since they were going to be carrying out this pact they would need to become more comfortable with one another. She decided to get up and walk over to Fitz’s bed and before he could protest, she climbed in next to him. 

“What are you doing?” he asked her, looking up - feeling odd to be the smaller of the pair this time. 

“I don’t really feel as though a conversation over the room would be right at 4am when we are meant to be quiet - who knows how thin the walls are. Come on, move up. I don’t want to have you complaining about me prodding you with your, well, you know.”

“You’re terrible you are,” Fitz shifted towards the other end of the bed. “Just because you’re in my body doesn’t mean you can take advantage of a girl.” He smiled.

“Oh, stop going on about that, please. I’m completely fine with it,” she lay Fitz’s head on the pillow and looked into her own brown eyes - still seeing the soul of Fitz within them. “What do you think has happened overnight, to grumpy and the monster?”

“I hope it hasn’t moved, I set it to make a noise if it did on the tablet so hopefully Coulson should wake up. Such an odd situation, to think it’s from a whole other world...”

Fitzsimmons had shared a bed before, but as friends at the Academy but they were older now and knew one another better so it was far more natural - however, it was always special in Fitz’s opinion. He found it strange to be looking back at himself as they spoke but after a while that didn’t matter as it was dark and their voices were more prominent than their appearances. Whilst he had remained at the end of the bed, they had both inched slowly closer together over the time spent chatting, so that was no longer a problem. Of course, the two joked about their new anatomies and Fitz decided to take the oppertunity to snuggle closer to her to which she hesitated to at first but then didn’t mind as he remained chatting as though it wasn’t a big deal. 

“Your feet are so small,” Fitz commented - the two playing footsies under the covers. “It’s strange to walk, I feel like I’m not even touching the ground.”

“Doesn’t it make you feel like you have lighter footing? For me at least it’s like wearing a pair of shoes that are too big,” Simmons smiled back at him. 

“Yes well, if you’re worried about my feet being too big then I should take it as a compliment.”

“Oh yes, I forgot about that,” Simmons lifted the covers. “You were right, it did go.”

“So you’re not attracted to being in bed with yourself then?” Fitz raised his (her) eyebrows.

“Clearly not,” she replied and looked into her own eyes again. “But it’s nice to be with you again, like the old times. We should do this more when we get back on the bus.”

“And be the talk of the team? Skye would never stop smiling,” Fitz said. “And she’s not the only one.”

Simmons smile grew as she exhaled and slowly reached a hand up to touch her own cheek which Fitz possessed.

“Fitzsimmons, wake up, it’s moved!” Coulson’s voice came from over their walkie talkie and Simmons promptly jumped and fell off the bed.

“Ow! Oh...erm...yes,” she grabbed it from the dresser. “Yes, yes sir, we’ll be right there!”

“Are you alright?” Fitz asked and she nodded as he helped her up.

“Let’s go,” she said and followed him out of the room towards room 22. Fitz knocked on May and Skye’s room and waited - Skye with bed-hair exited and short, blue pyjamas.

“What is it?”

“It’s moved, Coulson wants to see us,” Fitz told her and she yawned, nodding and Fitzsimmons entered the room. Coulson was in captain America pyjamas and Ward shirtless with just baggy bottoms - the latter looking out of the window with binoculars.

“I can see it. Where’s it going?” Ward said and Fitz grabbed the tablet, forcing grumpy to follow, but they wouldn’t need him as they looked out of the window in the darker sky - the time now around 6:30 and sunrise.

The frost monster seemed weak and slowly started to climb up the rock face to an even higher cave. It stumbled slightly, rocks flying off the side but it hoisted itself up.

“It looks so tired...” Simmons commented. “The change has got to be happening soon.” 

Skye and May entered, May in a black strappy top and short pyjamas too.

“What’s happened?” she asked and Coulson pointed to the window. “It’s moved?”

“We think it might be ill,” Simmons confessed. 

“We need to get up there, before it’s too late then,” May instructed. “It’ll have to be today.”

“Right, in that case, we need to make sure we aren’t seen. Can we close the area around the Loch?” Coulson asked Fitz.

“We’d have to tell them the reason, and if it’s to do with a monster the press will certainly be here thinking it’s Nessie. No, we’d have to go in the evening. Work out a plan of attack,” Fitz said.

“Are guns going to work against this thing?” Ward asked - he had been quiet up until now, looking between May and Skye. “If I could get one powerful shot...”

“Or, it could alarm it and the beast could attack,” Fitz reminded him. “No, we’d need something to freeze it first. Change the body temperature rapidly again or make it very warm.”

“What, like burn it?” Skye said. “That’s inhumane...”

“What other choices do we have? I could alter the night-night guns to let out a bullet that could cause a rapid change in temperature of the heart and shut down its body rapidly, immobilising it. Then, if we have to destroy it. We can do it then.”

“Brilliant Fitz!” Simmons said. “But, I still don’t like the idea of it being ‘destroyed.’”

“We have no other choice, but hold on, have you two spoken to the Hub yet? Aren’t you going back today?”

“I’ll call them soon,” Fitz said. “And, well, we aren’t really built for combat. Once we instruct you what to do with the new bullets, I’m sure you can handle it, sir. Plus, Simmons doesn’t seem to want to see the beast killed.” He nudged her slightly. 

“It just makes me sad. It’s such an amazing creature, it would be fascinating to research and observe. It could be the only one of it’s kind and we’re killing it?” she sighed. “I understand, it has to be done.”

“Well, hey, at least you’ve got Fitz’s body to comfort you,” Skye smiled at her.

“We’ll get to work by 8. We need to somehow get up there and work out a plan of how to remain out of sight,” Coulson suggested. “And I would really like breakfast. I wonder if they do those little croissant things here.” He said chirpily and May smiled slightly at him before the team left once again to return to their respective rooms.

“I call the shower first!” Simmons said and walked over to the bathroom and Fitz moaned slightly. “We’re going to have to do this sooner or later. Besides, you don’t want the frost beast to smell you?”

“Very funny,” Fitz looked at her and Simmons looked back, leaning her (Fitz’s) head to one side.

“What is it?”

“Just...had a nice time earlier,” he told her and she grinned, nodding too.

“So did I,” she said and noticed a strange sensation that she was unsure of. However, she soon realised her new male anatomy would display that more than adequately. So, she quickly turned around and walked towards the bathroom. “I won’t be long!” she said and shut the door behind her, leaning up against it. Simmons looked up at the ceiling, breathing out. A smile on her lips as she locked the door behind her and looked in the mirror at Fitz’s face and form before her. Even looking into his deep, blue eyes made her tremble and the thought of what she was about to do here in the bathroom made her blush. She simply said aloud, but quietly, to herself: “How did I never notice him before...?”


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rodrigo - is it really a coincidence?

Location: Loch Ness, Scotland

Later in the morning the team completed a large breakfast, still cautiously looking out the window in case the beast moved. However, it seemed to prefer to be away from the public and people continued on none the wiser with their tourist activities. The Hub informed Fitzsimmons that it would be 6 more hours until the machine was ready as they were still waiting on some final parts. The two would fly back that afternoon after lunch in Scotland and return to the Hub from Inverness airport.

“It’s a shame I can’t test it,” Fitz said and picked up the bullet he had created - they had set up a mini lab in Coulson’s room, hoping that room service nor cleaners would bother them. He held it up in Simmons’ hand looking at it through a magnifying glass. “But this little beauty will fit perfectly inside the night night gun and one or two shots should be enough. I’ll make six in case you miss.”

“I wouldn’t miss,” Ward folded his arms. 

“It’s a gigantic monster and we don’t know precisely where the heart is. You might,” Simmons told him. “However, looking at the patterns grumpy has mapped for us, you can access the heart quite easily if you go underneath its forearms. However, that would involve it standing still and you not getting squished by it.”

“Delightful,” May replied to that. “And we’re getting no backup?”

“Fury says there are other priorities, although what could be worse than a monster from another world?” Coulson told them and started to pace the room. “When you’re ready, pack everything up and let’s work out how we’re going to get up there.”

“Yes sir,” Fitz said and quickened his work with Simmons still monitoring the beast.

It was another cold morning and the team left their rooms and walked out towards the still loch. There was a slight mist over the rock faces and the water was greenish-blue, spreading out for miles. Coulson and May went to buy some rock climbing equipment and Skye and Simmons went to buy the boys hot drinks. 

“The air is so crisp,” Simmons commented as they walked along. She breathed in and out deeply. 

“And cold,” Skye added, shivering. “So...what happened last night?” she asked Simmons and held her back so they could walk at the back of the group.

“Nothing happened, I was asleep,” Simmons replied. “Skye, I don’t know what you think is...”

“Come on, so you were in there the whole time with Fitz and neither of you did anything? You’re such wusses.”

“Well we, chatted a bit in the morning and...snuggled...but that’s all.”

“Snuggled?” Skye raised her eyebrows.

“Yes, snuggled,” Simmons told her. “And it’s not a big deal because we’ve done it before and I’m sure we’ll do it more considering our pact...”

“What pact?”

“We apparently made a pact at the academy, I mean I don’t remember as I was quite drunk, that we’d marry each other if we couldn’t find other people who wanted to be with us by 40, although last night we changed that to 35 and that we would ‘try before we buy’ by 30 too.”

“Oh my God, you two are so adorable!” Skye squealed. “So I have to wait less than ten years for a wedding, if I don’t get to be maid of honour I will be pissed.”

“Skye! Calm down. Fitz would probably find someone else by then anyway and who knows, maybe I would too,” Simmons folded Fitz’s arms across his chest, feeling a little cold.

“I’ll put good money on that never happening.”

“Why? Because we’re so unappealing to the public, thank you very much Skye.”

“No! You’re both good looking people, but you’re clearly made for each other and you haven’t been able to take your eyes off him this morning and he has been extra comfortable in your skin, because it’s probably his dream come true to be that close to you.”

“Well, he did say he enjoyed being in the body of a beautiful woman, but he was clearly just being kind.”

“He called you beautiful? And he’s made a pact to marry you and do the other stuff AND he invited you over to his house for summer. Do you honestly not see what is happening?” Skye asked and Simmons looked back with a clueless Fitz expression. “Dear God, you two may be super smart scientists, but you get an F minus when it comes to detecting love.”

“Love?” Simmons said allowed. “Absurd Skye, no idea what you mean...”

Fitz and Ward sat by the Loch close to the water which felt freezing at Fitz’s touch.

“I’ll have to make sure to note down the design of the frost-bites,” Fitz said, hugging Simmons’ knees closer to her chest. “I’ll show them to the engineers at the Hub and write up a specification.”

“Frost bites?” Ward said. “Where do you get these names from?” 

“Tell me it doesn’t make sense,” he told Ward who then touched the water for himself and drew back. 

“If I was a frost beast, personally, I’d rather be in the water. It’s far colder than up here.”

“You get used to it after living here,” he said. “Although Simmons seems to feel cold more than me so I sympathise. Probably due to her smaller frame. I bet Skye is grilling her about last night.”

“Why? Did something happen?”

“Nothing out of the ordinary. She plaited my hair which felt very odd.”

“I can imagine,” Ward muffled a laugh. “Seriously, you should make a go of it with her when you get back to normal. Even I can see that there’s something there between you two.”

Fitz looked up at Ward.

“The cold is clearly getting to your brain,” he shook his head and looked over his shoulder to see if the girls were on their way back. However, someone else appeared. “As if she would ever be...hold on...is that...?”

“Jemma Simmons!” a thick spanish accent. Fitz’s (Simmons’) jaw dropped.

“What the hell is he doing here?!” Fitz looked over. 

“Who?” Ward looked and saw the tall, spanish man behind them. 

“Jemma! You look so beautiful as you did before, how are you?” Rodrigo came up and before Fitz could do anything the man had reached for his (her) hand and kissed it. Fitz cringed from the insides. 

“Erm...I...well...what are you doing here?” he asked.

“A holiday, just as yourself, who is this? This is not Fitz,” he looked at Ward.

“Grant Ward, and you are?”

“Rodrigo Alanis,” he held out a hand. “I used to be at the Academy with Jemma and her friend Leon.”

“Leo. Rodrigo was a mathematician. How did you know I was on holiday?” Fitz asked him. 

“I guessed,” Rodrigo replied. “But what a coincidence to bump into you, must be fate after all these years.”

“Yes...and you don’t look a year older than when we were there.” Fitz said disappointedly. 

Skye and Simmons carried a drink in each hand a walked back towards the Loch.

“There’s such a calm feeling around,” Simmons said. “Who would think that a monster that could destroy the whole town is just up there.”

“Whoa...who is the hottie talking to Fitz?” Skye said and Simmons looked at Skye and then over at the boys. Her (Fitz’s) jaw fell in the same way Fitz had experienced hers do a few moments before.

“Oh my God, Rodrigo Alanis...what is he doing here?!”

“You know him?”

“Yes, he was at the Academy, excellent mathematician, perfect build and muscles and just generally dreamy,” Simmons said. “He never noticed me and what on earth is he doing in Loch Ness?”

“Maths you say? I can do maths,” Skye twirled her hair. “Let’s go find out.”

“Rodrigo?” Simmons called and he turned around.

“Oh, Fitz, hello, how are you? I was just talking to your lovely partner. I’m here on holiday, what a coincidence to bump into the two of you,” he asked.

“Weird...erm...you still look so...young?” Simmons commented, feeling very much attracted to the man. She could see the look in her own eyes as Fitz turned away. “What, a holiday here in Loch Ness?”

“I’m Skye,” Skye went to shake his hand. “Computing and a bit of a hacktavist. I know all about maths and my square roots and...stuff.”

“Lovely to meet such a beautiful woman,” Rodrigo kissed her hand too making Skye laugh and smile up at him. Ward rolled his eyes. “It’s amazing to meet here, a S.H.I.E.L.D. reunion. We should get coffee, but I see you’ve already done that...”

“Yes well...erm...yes, we’re just here on holiday, like I said before,” Simmons felt Fitz’s trousers getting tighter and her (his) heart racing. 

“The whole team? Not as a couple? You two are together by now?” 

“Us...we...er...” Simmons looked at Fitz and he looked back. “Well, you know us...” 

“Always together,” Fitz put emphasis on the first word and Rodrigo smiled back at him, raising his eyebrows. 

“I’ll get you coffee, hold this,” Skye forced Ward’s cup into his hand and indicated for Rodrigo to follow her. The spanish man did so but turned around to look at Fitz again.

“Don’t go anywhere,” he said and smiled. Fitz gave a very fake Simmons smile and then rolled his (her) eyes and sulked. 

“Well that was a huge surprise!” Simmons said and handed Fitz the tea.

“Yes, a wonderful surprise. Delightful to see him again.”

“Oh Fitz...”

“Just you remember that you’re in my body so don’t you violate that. Why is he on holiday at all in Scotland, is he bored of the sunshine in Spain?”

“I don’t know,” Simmons said. “But he hasn’t aged at all, has he Fitz, isn’t that weird?”

“Frustratingly weird,” Fitz sighed. “Still looks exactly as he did at the academy.”

“I sense some rivalry,” Ward said and drank his coffee. “Were you friends?”

“He didn’t even notice me, and I don’t think you two ever spoke, did you Fitz?” Simmons asked, looking back at Rodrigo and Skye who was laughing elaborately. 

“Once, I corrected one of his equations and he never really spoke to me after that. He seems to have taken a shine to you now Simmons with his whole hand kissing and ‘don’t go anywhere.’ Makes my skin crawl.”

“My skin,” Simmons reminded him. 

“What if he knows about the body swap and is actually after Fitz, huh?” Ward smirked and the two looked at him. 

“No, he definately likes girls,” Fitz said and indicated Rodrigo and Skye walking back with her touching his arm as she laughed at what he said again.

“Say it again, I love that accent!” she said and Rodrigo spoke some words in spanish and Skye seemed to swoon.

“So you are all here on a mission or a holiday?” Rodrigo asked them. 

“Both, well, you know how it is. We’re a team, we stick together,” Simmons smiled slightly and Rodrigo looked at her oddly - he certainly wasn’t aware of the body swap. He looked back at Fitz and wiggled his eyebrows slightly and Ward just tried to keep a straight face.

“What’s going on?” May’s voice came and the five looked over to see her and Coulson returning. 

“Oh, May, Coulson, sir,” Simmons squeaked slightly. “This is Rodrigo Alanis, he was at the academy with us. He’s on holiday here too.” 

“Well, that’s funny, because I just got off the phone with Professor Randolph who said he spoke to Rodrigo just under an hour ago,” Coulson said - the team turned to look at Rodrigo. 

“I...er...he must have it wrong. It wasn’t an hour ago, it was...”

“He doesn’t get things wrong,” Coulson cut in. “So, either you’re not Rodrigo or there’s something else going on...”


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I aimed to have 10 chapters and I think that's now realistic. Here's number 7 :)

Location: Loch Ness

Rodrigo looked between the team, all with questioning eyes back at him, mainly Fitz and Simmons.

“Okay, I was with Professor Randolph an hour ago in Portland.”

“But how? You’re here now, it doesn’t make sense...” Simmons began.

“Because I am an asgardian too,” he told the team. “I haven’t been here on earth as long as Elliot, but I came here because of him. I got in trouble in Asgard because I could go between places very quickly and once I was confined there by the king, I decided to escape. I came to earth where I heard a warrior from the Beserker army had arrived years before. I went to spain to find him and he helped me by allowing me to study at his University. I became very good at Mathematics because my movements were governed by angles and numbers and constants and that’s when S.H.I.E.L.D. suggested I join the academy. I thought it would be a good idea, moving to America but I missed home too. In the end, I didn’t want to be a part of the secrecy, so I moved back and taught there.”

“Oh my, so cool,” Skye said to him.

“Asgardian? That’s why you haven’t aged?” Fitz asked.

“Yes,” Rodrigo said. “I went to visit Elliot this morning as I was in America and wanted to catch up with an old friend, and he told me he had spoken to you and about a frost beast. I’d heard of reports from Scotland of a beast that looked very similar.”

“It is a frost beast,” Coulson told him. “And it’s up there. We’re trying to work out how to get rid of it. You don’t have any suggestions on how to get rid of it?”

“I have never met a beast but I hear if you get it between a temperature change it is at its weakest,” Rodrigo told them.

“That’s what we were told,” Simmons said. “And Fitz has created some bullets which rapidly change the core body temperature.”

“Fitz? You’re Fitz...what...” Rodrigo looked between the pair and Fitz sighed, pushing back Simmons hair.

“Tell him then,” he said and looked at her and she nodded. 

“Well...we...have a small secret too. Fitz and I were messing around on a memory machine and it somehow swapped us into each other’s bodies. So I’m actually Simmons and he’s actually Fitz.” 

“Magic...we could go to Asgard, get you changed back,” Rodrigo said and went to reach towards Simmons but Fitz stepped forward.

“No thank you, we are getting it sorted actually. The Hub should be calling very soon to tell us about the repaired machine,” he said. “What we really need now is for you, now that you’re here, to help us to get rid of the frost beast.”

“If you say so, show me these bullets,” Rodrigo asked Simmons who looked up and pointed across to Fitz and Rodrigo nodded, walking over to him.

“What on earth just happened?” Ward asked.

“I don’t know, but I’m liking it,” Skye smiled and when Ward looked back at her she continued drinking her coffee. 

“It won’t work, the size means it will go straight whereas it needs to go at an angle,” Rodrigo explained. 

“No, it’s fine. I did all the calculations,” Fitz told him. “We’ve been monitoring the beast and...”

“The angle these will go at is in fact too high. It would miss the heart.”

“No because it would ideally be held from underneath the beast in the blind spot so...” Fitz began but Rodrigo started to laugh. “What is so amusing?”

“Nothing, it’s just hard to argue when I’m looking into such beautiful eyes,” he said and turned around to Simmons who blushed and said ‘aww.’

“Fantastic that you feel that way but...” Fitz’s phone rang and he got it out of his pocket. “Oh, it’s the Hub, Simmons can you take this please?”

“Okay,” she took the phone from him and spoke as Fitz and Rodrigo continued to argue. “It’s ready! Fitz!” she halted him and tugged on his sleeve. “Yes, okay, thank you so much! Fitz! We can get back!”

“That’s great news!” Coulson said to them.

“What about the beast?” Fitz replied. “We can’t just leave it to be killed by his faulty bullets.”

“They won’t be faulty, believe me,” Rodrigo told him. “Once they have been created properly, you can give them to your team and we can all go to America.”

“We?” Simmons queried.

“Yes, I’m not going to miss out on the chance of seeing you properly after so many years,” he smiled at her. Simmons smiled slightly awkwardly. 

“So you aren’t going to stay here and fight the beast then? Considering you’re an Asgardian and all,” Ward asked him. “And have more knowledge on it than us?”

“And you can move between zones whereas we would have to climb up and down there,” May added. 

“Well, it’s your choice. Mate,” Fitz asked and Rodrigo looked between them. 

“I...well, I can stay...but not without these bullets being changed,” he picked up one of Fitz’s to which Fitz objected, but Rodrigo cruelly held it out of the reach of Simmons’ shorter body. 

“Rodrigo, please,” Simmons took it and handed it back to Fitz. “Well, it might be an idea to just double check the size, Fitz. Not that I doubt yours are fine, but...what about the Hub?”

“We can wait a few more hours, can’t we?” Fitz asked her. “Unless you really want to go back, then of course we can?” He looked back into his own eyes. “It’s your choice.” 

Simmons looked into her own eyes, and something about the softness of the tone that Fitz used made her (his) heart melt a little. She nodded and smiled warmly.

“A few hours, yes, okay, let’s double check these bullets.”

However, the ordeal was taking far longer than a few hours. May suggested it might be a good idea to check on the plane, so her and Ward decided to go back to the airport via their car, also buying tickets for Fitzsimmons to return to the Hub. Skye, bored out of her mind went with Coulson for a walk around the Loch, and Simmons who too had enough of the bickering decided it was a good idea to join them.

Fitz and Rodrigo were left in the room together.

“Okay, we’re just being stupid. Letting our past animosity get in the way of the bullets. Rodrigo, I understand why you are upset with me. It was that equation, but that was a very long time ago, and I don’t see how...”

“What equation?”

“You know, for the thermo-angulation of...”

“Oh that! Oh Fitz, no of course that was not why I feel this way,” Rodrigo laughed and flashed white teeth. “I admit, I was always jealous of you.” 

“Jealous? Of what?” Fitz asked.

“You completely effortlessly spending all your time with that beautiful girl. She was always so pretty and yet I never stood a chance against you,” Rodrigo replied and Fitz gaped, open mouthed. 

“What? But you never took an interest in her, she specifically thought that you didn’t like her at all...”

“I did, but I never knew how to act around her. I thought maybe she would come to me eventually but she never did.”

“Because she was shy. Simmons does not approach guys, she’s old fashioned. Prefers them to come to her, even if she’s terrible at flirting with them when she is drunk. She liked you all along and...” Fitz broke off and considered it. “If you two had known earlier and confessed your feelings, you’d be together, wouldn’t you?”

“She liked me? Really?”

“Yeah, yes she did,” Fitz looked away. 

“And now? Professor Randolph told me you two were together,” Rodrigo looked at Fitz who turned around and looked at the man’s face. 

“No...no we’re not,” he said, disappointedly. “She’s my best friend, but she doesn’t want me. Not, unless I am a last option. So, yeah, if you want to know if you’re in with a chance? The answer’s yes. You are.” Rodrigo laughed to himself. “And you can drop the accent too, I know it’s not real,” Fitz told him. 

“But the women, they love accents,” Rodrigo re-treated into a different voice.

“Yeah, just not Scottish ones...” 

By the time that evening fell over a darkened Loch, Rodrigo and Fitz had reached a not so happy medium and the team were together again. 

“Okay, we altered the bullets to work at a different angle all together. Well, five of them because I wanted to keep one of my prototypes,” Fitz explained. “It’s getting weary, the beast, so we have to act now.”

“Well done Fitz, Rodrigo,” Coulson said and Rodrigo smiled and then focussed on Simmons. “Rodrigo, May, Ward and I will go up to the cave, Skye and Fitzsimmons you need to be on the ground in case people start questioning what we are doing. Crowd control and stuff.”

“Right,” Skye said and the rest of the team nodded.

“I’ll put one bullet in each gun then, and two in Rodrigo’s, seeing as you’ll have the best shot,” Fitz told him and Rodrigo nodded casually and took the night-night gun from him. Fitz handed one to the other three who placed a bullet in their own guns.

“Best get going then,” May said and walked towards the door with Ward following her and the rest of the team not far behind.

“I will be a moment,” Rodrigo said and held Simmons back. Fitz looked back at the pair sadly, his heart heavy but...he wanted Jemma to have what she’d deserved all along. Even though the pair knew each other inside out - now physically too - it didn’t change the fact that he would always just be ‘the best friend.’ He wasn’t tall, or tanned, or Asgardian - he was just Fitz, and he knew that would never be enough. He loved her, he knew he had loved her for a while and he wanted to protect her, but loving someone also means letting them go onto what is better and not holding them back. Simmons should be with Rodrigo. A man more fitting to her beauty. “Jemma Simmons, can I speak to you?” Rodrigo asked her and Simmons looked back.

“Well, erm...now isn’t a great time really, after the beast has gone?” she asked him.

“I want to tell you I like you very much,” Rodrigo made the accent thicker. “I want to see if you and I could be girlfriend and boyfriend.”

Simmons looked at the man in utter shock. How could he be saying this now? After everything they were about to go through, after all the years he hadn’t noticed her, after her feelings for Fitz were...hold on, feelings for Fitz? 

Did she have feelings for Fitz?

“Come to Spain for a while, have a break from S.H.I.E.L.D,” Rodrigo took her (Fitz’s) hand but then dropped it. “Well, once you’re back to being yourself.”

“I...I have to...later...erm...” Simmons walked out of the room, breathing heavily and walked faster out towards the team. Rodrigo, with a confused expression, followed her but by the time he had caught up with Coulson.

“What’s going on there?” Skye asked Fitz - the two of them walking ahead. He folded his (her) arms.

“He’s going to ask her out...”

“WHAT? I mean, good for Simmons but...but what about the two of you?” Skye asked him, nudging Fitz slightly.

“What about the two of us? There is no us...”

“Fitz, oh my God are you kidding me, of course there is! She likes you. Simmons likes you.”

“Skye...”

“Listen to me, even with Miles I have never had someone I was that close to that I wanted to be around them all the time or someone I knew that in the end I would want to end up with. She was the one who made the pact, right?”

“Yeah, because she sees me as a last resort. I’m not even in a friend-zone, I’m in a pact-zone...”

“Because she knows that you two are meant to be. She’s not just saying you’ll be friends for life, she’s committing herself to marriage and a relationship and all that other stuff with you. That’s her life plan. She knows that no matter what happens, she’s going to end up with you.”

“It’s a wonderful theory Skye but she’s liked Rodrigo from the start, and tell me, if he asked you out, mister perfect Asgardian, would you say no?” Fitz asked her and Skye shrugged.

“Well, I probably wouldn’t, but Fitz, come on...you two have got to see it. I just want to bang your little weirdly swapped heads together. Just...give it a chance. Don’t let her go, Fitz. She wants a man to fight for her, every girl does deep down.” Skye told Fitz and put an arm on his (Simmons’) shoulder. “Think about it, okay?”

Fitz folded his arms and then turned around seeing that Simmons and Rodrigo had caught up. She came over to him and stood by - she wanted to tell him, but now wasn’t the time as Coulson started to speak.

“Rodrigo, you won’t need to climb up. The rest of us will.”

“Neither will you, if we all hold hands or arms, I can take you all up there,” Rodrigo said. “I can get you up into the cave and then call me when you want to come back down.”

“You’ll be up there too though, won’t you?” Skye asked him, suspiciously.

“Oh yes, right...of course...” Rodrigo laughed. 

“Okay then,” Coulson said and the team stopped walking. “Skye, Fitzsimmons, you know what you’re doing?”

“Yes sir,” Fitzsimmons said in unison and Skye nodded too. The rock face was only accessible by climbing and below was just a sheer drop into the Loch. 

“Good luck,” Skye said and for a moment the team all looked at one another, for this was one of the most deadly and dangerous missions they’d ever have to go. Coulson held out his hand to Rodrigo and Rodrigo took it and May’s hand too. Ward, more reluctant, took the hands of his teammates and in a flash they were gone.

“Wow, super cool,” Skye looked up and Fitzsimmons did too - towards the cave, seeing the team appear there. 

“I’ll monitor grumpy, there’s not much else we can do from down here,” Fitz said and looked down at his tablet and Simmons nodded, smiling slightly at Skye. 

“Okay, and now I guess we just have to wait...” Simmons replied and the three sat down on the bank of the Loch in the darkness, hoping their team would return to them safely.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is an action chapter! May be able to make it to 10, but 9 may be more achievable - we'll see :) thank you for the support and for reading it. Comments and prompts for new fics are appreciated too :) x

Location: Loch Ness, Scotland

The darkened sky left very little room to see and the cave itself was near pitch black. Coulson, May and Ward lit their torches, shocked at how much room the beast was taking up. Grumpy’s data didn’t represent how large it really was.

“It’s only a small adolescent,” Rodrigo informed them with a whisper.

“What? There are bigger ones?” Ward replied. “How do we get to its heart?” The beast was asleep with its huge grey-blue arms wrapped around the front of it. 

“We don’t want to anger it by waking it up,” May commented. “Is there no way we can...” 

A gunshot fired from Rodrigo’s gun. The three jumped and the beast started to stir.

“We won’t need all five bullets - and now, it’s awake,” Rodrigo said after his warning shot. Coulson held his breath and even May stood back as the frost beast arose, its huge tail inches away from them. It bellowed and turned around to look at the torches, tusks thrusted forwards. “Good evening monster...” 

He fired his gun towards the heart of the monster and the monster fell back, and screeched loudly.

“What...was that the monster?” Skye jumped. 

“Has he killed it?” Simmons stood up but couldn’t see. Fitz looked at the tablet.

“It’s temperature is rising! It’s body metabolism slowing down! Oh my God, that was fast,” he told them and Simmons laughed and looked at the tablet and then up to the cave.

“Done,” Rodrigo smiled. “And I’m sorry I took all the cre...”

“WATCH OUT!” Ward leapt forward and pulled Rodrigo out of the way as the beast rose from the cave. It’s eyes glowed brighter, a more furious shade of orange in the dark and it roared louder.

May shot at the heart of the beast and once again it fell back but again it rose, it was only down seconds this time.

“What’s going on?!” she yelled. “I’m out of bullets!” 

“Why isn’t it going down?” Coulson said. “Have we missed the heart?” 

“Under the chin, Randolph said,” Ward told him and ran forward and skidded under the chin of the beast and shot up where he could see the heart beating. The beast didn’t even stir this time and desperately tried to get to Ward. “I’m out too!” 

“Coulson...” May breathed heavily and stared at the man and Coulson ran towards the roaring beast and grabbed onto the forearm. 

“COULSON! NO!” Ward yelled and pulled him back as Coulson fired his final shot...

The beast let out an ear-splitting screech and grabbed Coulson in its hand, staring at him straight with huge teeth centimetres away. 

“NO! We almost lost him once, we WON’T AGAIN!” May ran and jumped onto the beast’s head, jabbing the heel of her boot into it’s eye. The beast let Coulson go and threw her off and May screamed out. 

“MAY!” Coulson crawled over and Ward breathed heavily.

“RODRIGO! WHAT DO WE DO?!” he yelled. 

“I...I don’t...I don’t think I can do anything...” and Rodrigo faded out - disappearing from sight. 

“RODRIGO!” Coulson shouted.

“Bastard!” Ward yelled after him.

Skye and Fitzsimmons were all on their feet, staring up at the cave even though they couldn’t see well in the darkness.

“What...what’s going on?!” Skye said. “COULSON! WARD! MAY!” she yelled up at the cave. “Oh my God...what are we going to do?!”

Rodrigo appeared beside them in a flash.

“RODRIGO! WHAT THE HELL HAS HAPPENED?!” Simmons yelled at him.

“I...I’m sorry...” 

“The beast is getting weaker but those bullets aren’t doing anything...but they should, they’re set to...”

“It’s my fault! I...I knew to make the angle better I would have to change something so I changed...the final temperature that it reaches in the core...to make it smaller it had to lose something!” Rodrigo pushed his hair back.

“WHAT?!” Fitz yelled at him. “NO! NO THAT’S WHAT IS MEANT TO KILL IT! YOU STUPID IDIOT!” 

“So...so the beast can’t die?! What are you doing down here?! Where’s the team?!” Skye insisted of him and Rodrigo mouthed wordlessly. “YOU COWARD! GET THEM BACK DOWN HERE!” She pushed him back and Rodrigo quivered but dissolved again.

The beast had knocked Ward towards Coulson and May. Coulson grabbed him and Ward felt his ribs crack. The beast wasn’t at full strength so it was too weak to move fast. The three were left without any words and with cuts and bruises. Even though the beast hadn’t hurt them much, they were unable to fight back. These three were meant to be the ones to protect but now they had no way out...

“Here!” Rodrigo appeared again and threw the empty gun at the back of the beast’s head. The frost beast turned to catch him but he disappeared over to where the team was. “Hold on!”  
Coulson grabbed May and Ward and Rodrigo grabbed them and the team went with him back to the solid ground.

“OH MY GOD, ARE YOU OKAY?!” Skye helped May up and she nodded.

“Just...about...” Ward said and held his side. May leant on Skye with a nasty bruise to her side and a few cuts. Coulson too had some bruising but he was still out of breath. “What the hell is going on?!”

“Rodrigo altered the temperature the bullets should reach, they aren’t high enough...” Simmons rushed her speech. “What do we do?!” 

“Grumpy is still monitoring it, it’s coming this way...” Fitz said and they all looked up to see the beast at the entrance of the cave - orange eyes gleaming as it roared the loudest it had done. It threw it’s tail towards the side of the rock face and began to climb down.

“It’s coming down here! Oh God, what now?” Simmons panicked. 

“We need to let the hotel know or...just clear the area or something,” Coulson tried to talk.

“We can’t, there’s no time. It’s coming too fast and if it gets into the Loch then it’s going to get closer to its usual body temperature. It’s much colder in there and then it’ll be more powerful,” Rodrigo told them. “All grab onto me and we can leave and...”

“LEAVE?!” Skye yelled at him. “What about all those people in there?!”

“We can’t let it get into the Loch...” Fitz told him, his eyes focussing and he breathed in heavily, swallowing and grabbed the gun and torch from May and ran towards the rock face. 

“FITZ!!!!!!” Simmons screamed and sprinted after him. “WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!” 

“I HAVE THE LAST BULLET! WE HAVE TO SHOOT IT BEFORE IT GETS DOWN THERE! WE ONLY HAVE 6 SECONDS!” Fitz didn’t stop and skidded to a halt as the beast ran down the rock face at the water’s edge.

His (Simmons’) heart pounded from inside his (her) chest and Fitz felt her hands shaking. He’d never been a good shot and he wasn’t sure whether Simmons had the strength in her arms to pull the trigger. 

“HEY!” he called to the beast. “LET’S SEE HOW YOU LIKE THIS FROST-BITE!” 

The beast saw Fitz and ran towards him and Fitz pulled the trigger, the bullet hitting it just to the left of where the heart was. 

“FITZ GET BACK!” Simmons ran and used Fitz’s arms to grab around his (her) waist and pull him back, shielding him as the beast ran closer. However, as it turned to the right, the bullet lodged further into its body and reached the heart.

The beast roared and stumbled back, eyes glowing brighter and Coulson grabbed the tablet.

“IT’S WORKING!” he yelled across and Fitz looked up from Simmons’ embrace to see the frost beast fall forward onto the small part of land, just inches away from their feet. The huge head slowly lulled and the beast’s eyes grew dim. It was gone...

“Fitz...you did it!” Simmons laughed and pulled him to his (her) feet and Fitz looked back at the beast and grinned. 

“I did! Oh my good God I did!” he laughed and hugged Simmons tightly and she wrapped her (his) arms around his (her) waist and smiled.

“You stupid, brave so and so Leopold Fitz...you could’ve died...and my body could’ve died! Oh but at least you’re safe! You wonderful person!”

“Then you’d be stuck with me forever,” he looked up into his own eyes and smiled and Simmons looked away and smiled as Coulson came over.

“Fitz, you were brilliant, are you okay?” he asked and Fitz nodded.

“Shocked, but you see, this bullet worked. Even if the angulation was still slightly off,” he laughed and put an arm on Coulson’s back to help him back to the rest of the team. 

“The tablet says its completely dead,” Ward handed it back to Fitz who grinned and looked back at the beast. “I guess we’ll have to get it removed?”

“Yeah, I’ll call Fury and see. You two need to get checked out,” Coulson indicated Ward and May.

“I can do that,” Simmons chirped up. The team were about to walk off, but they remembered one thing - Rodrigo.

“You coward. We could’ve all be killed,” Ward went for him but Skye held him back. 

“Leave him, he’s not worth it at all. Not compared to Fitz,” Skye said and gave Fitz a small hug. “Simmons?”

Jemma looked up at Rodrigo and then back at the team.

“I’ll...join you in a minute,” she said and Skye stared at her, open mouthed before May indicated her to go. Fitz looked back at Simmons and placed his (her) hands in her pockets before walking back with the team.

Rodrigo smiled at Simmons, the two alone in the dark night. 

“Thank you for staying, I feel very...”

“Drop the accent Rodrigo, it was always fake, wasn’t it?” she said. “Like your stories. You’re not a hero, you’re far from it...and you, well, you’ll have to live with that knowledge now that humans are smarter than you.” 

“I just...wanted to be better than him. He always had everything I wanted, and he had you. I know you liked me, he told me,” Rodrigo reached for her (Fitz’s) hands but Jemma drew away. 

“Yes, well, sometimes the eye sees before the heart does. I don’t think you should come and see us again. Go back to Spain and live a quiet life there. There’s nothing between us, nor will there ever be,” Simmons told him and looked up into the man’s eyes. “Goodbye Rodrigo.” 

She turned on the spot and started to walk away. 

“I can make you happy! You deserve better than him. Just because he is a hero and I am not, that’s what you’re basing this on?!” Rodrigo asked her. Simmons turned back.

“No, it’s not because of that. Even though Fitz did save us all today, he was a hero long before today. I may not have realised it until now, but he’s the man who has my heart. Both metaphorically and now, also physically. We share a special bond. No one could ever come closer...” 

And with that, Simmons, despite Rodrigo’s pleadings, didn’t turn back around as she hugged Fitz’s jacket closer to his chest and walked into the hotel, glad that it was finally over and finally about to begin...


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so so much for all the wonderful support for this and YES it's the final chapter. Oh Science babies <3 I love you so much!  
> I'd like to write more fic so ideas for new ones are always welcome.

Location: Loch Ness, Scotland

Rodrigo did at least do one good thing - he helped to remove the beast. Coulson, begrudgingly, went to speak to him and asked if they could drop the beast off outside the triskellion. Fury would know what to do with it. Coulson went with him, but within ten minutes he was back and Rodrigo had gone. When asked what had happened, Coulson explained that Rodrigo was planning on heading back to Spain and very far away from their team.

“Good riddance,” Ward said.

“Shh, don’t move too much,” Simmons bandaged Ward up. “There, now you need to rest. You too May. Coulson, sir?”

“I’m going to be okay,” Coulson nodded and Simmons smiled, getting up. “We did well today, team. Fitz, you did save us all.” 

“Well, Simmons sort of saved me. I froze a bit when the beast was falling. If she hadn’t pulled me back I’d be flattened,” he smiled and looked over at Simmons.

“Are you two okay with waiting until tomorrow morning before we return to the Hub? I know you’re overdue to get changed back,” Coulson asked and the two looked at each other.

“Well, sounds like you couldn’t have done it without us,” Simmons smiled and Coulson laughed.

“Yeah, now sir, I think Fitzsimmons are probably quite tired after this so should get some rest in their room?” Skye said, very unsubtly and even May smiled. Fitzsimmons didn’t seem to clock onto it and Coulson nodded.

“Good night and thanks,” he said and Fitzsimmons bid them all goodnight before walking out of the room and back to room 24.

The two walked along silently for a moment before Fitz struck up the conversation.

“What a day, I am really tired actually,” he yawned. 

“You can’t sleep until I’ve done your plaits,” Simmons replied and opened the door as Fitz groaned.

“But it feels weird, Simmons,” he complained but she made him sit down on the floor again, smiling to herself. “What did Rodrigo have to say for himself?”

“He’s a coward, isn’t he? I mean, to leave Coulson, May and Ward like that,” Simmons replied. “They could’ve been hurt even more if that beast had been there for a few more seconds.” 

“Yeah, it...must be hard when someone you like turns out to be a coward. You and Rodrigo that is.”

Simmons looked at Fitz. 

“There is no Rodrigo and I?”

“But, wasn’t he asking you out back then?” Fitz looked up at her and Simmons nodded.

“He was, but of course I turned him down. No one does that to the people I care about and, honestly? I don’t really like the idea of being with someone who doesn’t look older than 20,” she smiled and Fitz laughed. 

“That would get old pretty quickly, well, you would,” he said and she nudged him with her (his) foot. “That’s...that’s good though.”

“I feel my younger self would be very proud if she knew,” Simmons said and stopped plaiting and Fitz stood up, facing her. “I’m sorry that none of us wanted to use your bullets in the end.”

“It’s okay, even I was doubting the angle in the end. I just didn’t realise that he’d done something like that to them,” Fitz yawned and went to change in the bathroom. “See you in a bit.” 

Simmons nodded and started to change herself, a smile playing on her face as she considered that tonight would be the last night there in Scotland and as things were. She’d in fact grown more partial to being slightly taller and stronger than her usual self, but more than that, she was looking forward to having Fitz in his own body before her so she could see him without a mirror. She sat down on Fitz’s bed once clothed and lay on his pillow, yawning.

“Er...what are you doing?” Fitz asked and Simmons looked back at him from the bed. 

“Well, I just...thought we could continue the chat from last night? Well, not that specific chat but the one that we were having now, you know...” Simmons smiled. “I can go if you want to sleep?”

Fitz smiled and blushed slightly.

“Of course it’s fine, just move up a little more so I can get in,” he said and Simmons squidged to the other end of the bed and Fitz lay down facing her. “If I’d known we’d be doing this, I would’ve told Coulson we should have got a double.”

Whilst Fitz was very tired, Simmons spoke throughout the next hour about what sort of research would come from the machine at the Hub - biochemically based stuff which Fitz found boring and he couldn’t help himself and fell asleep.

“Oh...” Simmons noticed around seven minutes later and smiled. “Fitz...” she put a hand on his (her) shoulder and brushed noses with him. “Goodnight I suppose.”

“Night...” he murmured and Simmons smiled and placed the duvet over the two of them and snuggled closer to him, shutting her eyes too. Of course, they could continue conversing in the morning. 

\-----

Location: Loch Ness, Scotland - on the way to Inverness airport

Whilst Fitzsimmons had slept the whole night, neither one made a big deal about it in the morning. They were in fact more fussed with packing (Simmons of course packed both of their bags) and how Scotland would be missed.

“We should come back here though,” Fitz said as they placed their bags in the back of the black car. “To see my mum especially.”

“Maybe one day when we get some time off from S.H.I.E.L.D., we can repeat that summer? Of course we’d stop off at my family’s place too,” Simmons said and Skye overheard and laughed.

“Seriously, tell me you two aren’t a couple. No one believes you except yourselves,” she said and got into the front of the car. She was the one who was driving back although Ward insisted he was okay. Fitz smiled at Simmons and got into the front of the car to direct Skye back to the airport. 

The hour and a half was far more relaxed than the journey there and the team finally got to look out of the window at the sights of the Scottish Highlands with a running commentary by Fitzsimmons.

However, the team soon reached the airport within an hour and a half and boarded their bus. May said she would be fine to pilot it but Coulson remained close to check she was okay. Skye and Ward went to the kitchen to make food for everyone and Fitzsimmons sat with their tea in Simmons bedroom as she unpacked. 

“At least this week has given us some inkling of what it’s like to be in a different body,” Fitz commented. “And what it’s like to be a girl.”

“You enjoyed it, don’t pretend like you didn’t,” she said and came across the top that Fitz had particularly enjoyed wearing. “This will have to be washed.”

“We had fun though, well, maybe you didn’t with the whole bathroom incident. That was pretty hilarious though,” Fitz laughed and even Simmons smiled. 

“It was fun, but no offence to you, I am dying to be able to sit down on a loo again,” she grinned and Fitz continued to laugh. “Thank you. For being calm about the whole thing.”

“Well, there’s no one else I’d rather be in,” he said and Simmons agreed, just as there was a knock on the door. 

“We’re going to land soon,” Coulson told them and Simmons dropped the top and the two excitedly went to strap themselves into their seats with Ward and Skye not far behind. 

“I can’t believe it’s almost over, the two of you. I know I’ll forget which one of you is which when you get switched back,” Skye said and strapped herself in, playing with her hair. 

“I think I prefer them this way, y’know?” Ward smiled and Fitzsimmons both gave them a look but then smiled too.

“Well maybe next time you and Skye could be switched,” Fitz suggested.

“Oh, that would be great for him but not for me,” Skye replied as they felt the plane go down. “I wouldn’t really like to be a robot for a day.”

“It’s just the body that gets switched, not the brain...oh...you were making a joke,” Simmons smiled and laughed. 

The plane landed and Fitzsimmons, Skye and Ward all headed towards the ramp of the plane.

“Oh are you two coming too?” Simmons asked. “Ward, you should really rest?”

“And miss this, no chance,” he said and patted her on the back. May and Coulson joined them from behind. 

“Let’s make sure everything is safe before we do this, okay? We don’t want any one else getting changed,” Coulson smiled and led the way with Fitzsimmons and the rest behind. 

The team entered the lab that they had been in before with an array of scientists and engineers around to greet them.

“Welcome back Agent Coulson,” a female scientist said. “Agents Fitz and Simmons. I’m Doctor Bryant.” 

“Nice to meet you, doctor,” Simmons said and Fitz greeted her too.

“All fixed?” he additionally asked.  
Doctor Bryant explained with the aid of the other engineers and scientists exactly how they had fixed and re-created what had happened with the machine and Fitzsimmons understood every word now. Coulson and the others looked baffled - as expected.

“So we need to induce the theta brain waves back for both of you and somehow you’ll have to both be in the machine at the same time,” the doctor told them and Fitzsimmons looked at each other. 

“If we huddle really close, we can probably do it,” Fitz suggested and Simmons nodded, ignoring the comments from Skye and walked over to the machine. Fitz indicated Simmons should go first as she was now larger and she lay down on her (his) side.

“Good thing we practiced this last night,” Simmons smiled at him and he grinned as Fitz lay down on his (her) side on the machine and moved closer to Simmons - the two cuddled close together. 

“Aww, I need a photo of that,” Skye said and took out her phone and Fitzsimmons just smiled at each other. The doctor placed a pulse-oximeter on their fingers and measured their heart rate.

“So, I will need to take you both back to a shared time or this won’t be able to work,” the doctor told them. “So is there a time when you were both unable to remember or have fuzzy memories on?”

The two considered it for a moment.

“I think there was one night in Scotland, not this time, but that summer you came over,” Fitz said. “That we went to that pub?”

“Oh yes! And we got really drunk! We do that too much, I think. What even happened that night?”

“I don’t know, but I remember waking up on a hill?” Fitz said and Simmons laughed.

“How did we not know these two had a secret drinking life?” Ward asked and Coulson and May smiled. 

“Okay, I’ll take you back and then it might get unpleasant for a moment but it will be okay. Are you ready?” the doctor asked and Fitz nodded.

“Wait...erm...” Simmons began and looked at him, open mouthed. “Just wanted to say, thank you again Fitz. For being gentle with me.”

“I always am,” he smiled and took her hand in his, holding it closer and then Simmons nodded. 

“Ready.” 

“Okay, everyone else stand back please,” the doctor said and turned the machine on. “Both relax, think about those memories...talk me through it...”

“What a fun bunch they were!” Simmons walked along with a smile on her face through the streets of Scotland. She had her arm linked with Fitz and he laughed to himself. 

“When they asked if you wanted to do karaoke, your face was priceless,” he grinned and Simmons nudged him and he almost fell over. “Where do you want to go now? It’s too early to go home. It’s only 3...”

“Only 3! That’s when the party begins! Woohoo!” Simmons cheered. “Let’s go up here!” she grabbed his hand and dragged him over to a small hill. “I can’t walk up there, carry me!”

“You’re wearing flat shoes! Silly Simmons.”

“Carry me anyway! I feel like a princess going to a castle!” she held out her arms to him and Fitz laughed. 

“We look silly, don’t we? If I drop you then you cannot blame me for I am not of full mind with all this alcohol in my stream blood.”

“Blood stream! You’re drunk!” Simmons laughed and Fitz picked her up with a fire-man lift.

“I told you I was drunk!” and he walked up the small hill and when he reached the top he let her down. “But I didn’t drop you.” He sat himself down on the grass.

“You get a gold star Leopold,” Simmons said and patted him on the cheek before pulling him in closer with a hand on the back of his neck and hugged him. “Scotland is beautiful.”

“It is, just like you,” he tapped her on the nose with his finger and made her blink.

“You’re a little charmer Leo, I think I’ll sleep now,” Simmons lay down and Fitz lay down next to her - the two staring up at the sky into the clear night. “Are you going to tell me what all these stars mean?”

“No, I don’t think so,” he yawned. “You probably know all that anyway.”

“I’m going to take you out now and induce the swap. It may be a little painful but tell me if I need to stop,” the doctor started to shut down the machine. 

“You’re the funniest romantic,” Simmons told Fitz and sat up slightly, giving him a kiss on the forehead. “Goodnight you.”

“Goodnight? What about the party?” Fitz mumbled in his sleep.

“Their heart rates are spiking...Fitz? Simmons? Tell me what you feel?” the doctor said. 

“Fitz...ow, my head it hurts! No, don’t...” Simmons said.

“It’s okay, it’s...ow...I’m here, ow, please stop, just...” Fitz murmered and an orange flash struck between the two of them. Fitz and Simmons fell limp on the machine.

“FITZSIMMONS!” Coulson walked forward. “What’s happening?”

“I...I don’t know, they’re unconscious it...” the doctor panicked but slowly the heart rate started to stabilise in both Fitz and Simmons. “It’s okay...it’s alright...” Coulson relaxed and looked back at the team and nodded. Skye, Ward and May smiled and looked between each other, May even hugging Skye around the shoulders. 

Fitz slowly looked up and saw objects reforming and blinked back.

“Where...what just...Simmons? How much did we drink?” he said and looked around. “This isn’t Scotland...” 

“Fitz?” Simmons looked up and saw his blue eyes in front of her.

“The memory machine. Simmons? Simmons are you...you?” Fitz met her familiar brown eyes right before him and then looked down at his own hands. His OWN hands and stared to laugh. “We did it!”

“We did? We’re back!” Simmons reached for her hair and saw it was back. She was back to herself with Fitz’s face centimetres in front of her. “Oh Fitz!” 

Fitz without even thinking pressed his lips against Simmons and then broke off. He couldn’t move further back as they were still in the machine. The tips of their noses were still touching. They heard Skye squealing in the background and she grabbed Ward by the arm and dug her nails in. 

“Sorry...wasn’t even drunk that time,” he said but Simmons shook her head and reciprocated and kissed him back in a longer kiss and smiled. She felt Fitz’s arms around her waist and finally, she knew she was fully safe and back to herself. It was going to be a new beginning for them, even though it had always been there all along. 

“Neither am I,” she smiled and pushed her hand into his curly hair and smiled as Fitz grinned and pulled Simmons up and sat up on the machine, his arms still around her waist. 

He didn’t even care that they were in a room full of scientists and engineers - maybe even some of them were at the academy when they were there, nor that the whole team could see them and Skye would surely make a huge deal out of the two of them. None of that mattered right now because finally, he had his Jemma Simmons. 

And she had her Leo Fitz. They both knew exactly what this was and where they were heading with this.

After all, they didn’t really need a body swap to know that they were psychically linked. 

-The End-


End file.
